Guilt
by rat19
Summary: He came into the bar. He seduced her. Then he called the cops. And then they were engaged. Not a regular love story. NO CHEATING. E&B, AH, OOC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I love them.

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Prologue

"What is the meaning of this?" Bella shouted with tears in her eyes.

Edward's eyes traveled to the photos she was holding in her hands, his eyes grew dark, but he did not cower in shame. He stood tall and as arrogant as ever. He could clearly see the hurt in Bella's eyes, but said nothing.

His quiet acquiescence made her sad. If he had tried to deny, or explain, maybe she would have found the strength to listen to him, or to forgive.

"Why, Edward?" she asked dejectedly.

"I was afraid, Bella… Afraid of losing you both."

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A/N Thank you for embarking on this journey with me! It's my first story, but it's almost finished so I can share it with you regularly. I hope you will love these characters as much as I do. Please be patient as appearances are deceiving…


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

He fastened the buttons of his shirt and let it slip under his jeans. Then he carefully arranged is hair by adding just enough gel to keep it back without seeming greasy. He took a bit longer to look at himself in the full height mirror. Whoever had seen Edward Cullen – young CEO and promising businessman - in those moments would not have recognized him. Usually in an expensive suit, bearing a serious demeanor, today he had dismissed his driver and was taking his old Volvo for a spin.

By the time he parked his car in front of the bar 'Twilight,' half of New York was already there. Unfortunately, he did not have his bodyguard to help him enter, so he just flashed a card he had and gave the security a tight look, which apparently worked.

As he was making his way in line, he saw a number flash on his phone. Alice. He promised he would ignore all calls, except this one.

"Hello, sweetie. Is everything OK?"

"Yes, but I'm a bit bored."

"Isn't Jessica entertaining you?"

"She just went to the store to get some popcorn."

Edward just hummed while making his way to a less crowded space where he could hear her better.

"Are you still out?" he heard on the phone.

"Yes, darling, but not for long. Don't worry about me. Be sure you have a good night's sleep as you will have a long trip tomorrow".

"I will..." And then a pause - "I miss you."

Edward let his voice become softer, soothing. "Me too, but it won't be long now. Love you!"

"Love you too, Daddy. See you tomorrow."

Having ended the conversation with his daughter, Edward sighed and turned around. And then – he saw her. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, as to not let it get in the way of serving. She was making a cocktail now, and she put all her concentration into it.

He went closer.

As soon as he was at the bar, he fixed his gaze on her until she looked up and he got her attention.

"Can I help you?" a sweet question, her customer service skills kicking in.

"I'd like a Bloody Mary," he murmured.

"Oh, a classic. Coming right up." While she was busy preparing the vodka and tomato juice, he took the time to analyze her further. Her brown chocolate eyes turned to him again.

"Have I seen you around?"

He smiled his crooked smile: "Shouldn't that have been my line?"

She bit her lip and then burst out laughing: "You're right, but I can't help it. I was hired here based on my facial recognition memory. You know, so I can recognize regulars…"

"I'm not a regular."

"No, you're not. I would have remembered you."

"But I could become one," he smiled at her intently. She ducked her head and presented her with the concoction. He downed it and ordered another. The banter continued. The place became more crowded, and she had to attend to other customers, but she would always come back and check on him.

"You know, after… how many glasses have there been? I don't even know your name," his hoarse voice merely a whisper, so she had to come closer to hear him.

"Don't worry; I'm keeping a tab… And it's Bella."

"Bella… Let's exchange secrets, Bella," he whispered again, this time really close to her ear.

Her throat went dry for a minute. She was used to the advances of men since she had become a bartender, and she had developed an arsenal of replicas and techniques to avoid them. But this man… She did not know if she wanted to keep him at a distance or not. She definitely felt the pull, but also an edge of danger.

She liked danger, though.

Since she was taking her time to reply, he went ahead.

"What I'd like to know more than anything now is… where are you going after work?" his gaze became very focused, although still hazy, probably due to the alcohol.

Bella's eyes grew wide. She didn't know how to approach this man, and she was more and more tempted to be seduced. She heard her name being called to a nearby table. It was a welcome distraction, but Edward caught her arm before she left and blew into her ear with his musky scent. "Come home with me."

Bella sprinted to the table and without even registering what she was doing, took the order and went to process it. Sometimes it was good she had so much experience at this bar, since she was on autopilot. Her instincts were at a conflict with her brain. She turned towards the handsome stranger. He was all alone at the bar, sipping his cocktail. She could not understand him. If he wanted to get smashed, why not sink himself in real alcohol?

He was a mystery.

He wasn't looking at his phone, not even to check the time, which was strange for this time and age. He just kept his eyes down, or on some fixed spot, or on her when she would go closer.

Some girls had tried to pick him up throughout the evening, but he either turned them down or ignored them. So he was not here to pick up someone. Well, except her. Which made her wonder… Her gaze quickly fell towards his hand. Just as she thought, no ring. But what did that mean nowadays? He could have simply slipped it into his pocket before leaving home. And his voice... why did he pick her – out of all people?

She was by far an innocent little girl, and she was not opposed to one-night stands, but for some reason, she did not quite grasp where this fling would lead. But she knew she was tempted to find out. She had stayed far away for long enough.

"Why the Bloody Mary?" she whispered into his ear this time, and the surprise on his face turned into a smile again.

"Because it was her favorite," he murmured.

"Whose?"

"My wife… She left us… Today I'm commemorating the day," he murmured in quick exhales.

This took her back.

She knew about loss, it had been her companion for years too. And although this man did not look in pain, he seemed somewhat – broken.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot in half an hour," she said quickly and went off to round up the drinks and get the tabs for her table. When he came back to his seat, she saw the credit card in his place. Edward Cullen… Huh, the card suggested he was a businessman, and a prosperous one, but then again the bar she was working in was not exactly for low-income people. Only her salary would be enough to cover a mortgage for a small family in New York.

She got her bearings, and on her way to the parking lot, she hesitated for a moment. Was she really going through with this?

Was it pity?

Was it comfort?

As she opened the back doors and saw him leaning against his Volvo, her self-preservation instinct was lost and she no longer cared what it was.

She just knew she wanted him.

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A/N: Thank you for your support! I'll try to update regularly on Wednesdays and Fridays! It might be confusing at first, but hope you won't give up and like the story once the plot gets clear…

Important announcement: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.

If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.


	3. Chapter 2

2

She approached him slowly though, and he made no move to rush things. He seemed quite sober, although he should have been inebriated by now. He looked right at her but made no move forward. He let her come closer and into his space. Then, he gently cupped her face and kissed her. The tender kiss became more passionate, and soon there were no regrets that could be formed in Bella's mind. There was no pity she was feeling as she was being thoroughly kissed by this striking man. Hopefully, they could break the kiss until they got to a hotel.

But she needn't have worried. He seemed to have everything under control. He broke away first, and with an intent look, opened the door to the car and invited her in. The pleasant leather smell enveloped her immediately, and she felt she could have fallen asleep right then and there. He took her hand in his gently, and without words, asked her if she was still sure. She squeezed his and let him lead.

It was nice to be with a man in control again. Most of her life she had to count on herself to get through the rough times. And sometimes she was tired of fighting.

Now, she didn't know exactly what to expect. She thought they would stop at a hotel nearby, but he seemed to have a destination in mind, and soon afterward they arrived at a building complex. He inserted a card, and the gate opened, which meant he lived there, or at least rented it. She felt a little ill at the thought of him bringing other women over. But the thought did not stay long, as he kissed her again when they parked the car. This time, with her hand safely held in his, they made their way into a modern apartment in the building. Once the door opened, she was struck by how impersonal the place looked. It might not have been a hotel, but it was a close second.

He made his way to the bedroom with determination. Once inside, his cold exterior disappeared, and it was replaced with eagerness. He was a man on a mission. She did not know whether to interrupt the act with words, or let herself be swept away by the hurricane that was Edward. Although he pushed her towards the bed while undressing her, once there, he held back and said, "It's your turn."

Bella just smiled, and flipped them over. She then took her sweet time undressing and exploring him. He did not seem to be shy when gazed on, but he did seem a bit restless, and when she looked down, she understood why. She decided to take matters into her own hands and the first round was on her.

When he was left satisfied, she felt a sense of pride. This strong man, in a moment of pain, was comforted by her. She brought him joy if even for a moment, a flicker in the darkness. She smiled at that thought, and barely registered his determination. She barely had the time to muster "protection," which made him freeze for a bit. "I might be rash, but I am not irresponsible," she muttered shortly. He just nodded, grabbed something from the closest drawer and proceeded to rock her world. She could not think of anything else in those moments except how exquisitely well they fit each other, and how he knew instinctively all the buttons he needed to push, nibbling behind her ear, sucking her nipples and caressing her thighs. Soon she was gone, and a peaceful bliss overcame her.

She woke up in what felt like moments after, only to discover she had slept for two hours. She looked at the man sleeping peacefully next to her. His strong jaw, his perfectly sculpted face, she really could not find any fault. Too bad his piercing green eyes were closed, but she was happy he was getting some rest. She kissed the tip of her hand and then slid it over his lips.

She had so many questions to ask him but knew she would not have the opportunity. This was comfort sex, one night stand, whatever it was called, it was not meant to last. It was not the start of something, but more blowing off steam.

And there was steam…

On that note, she took a quick shower, dressed and gathered her things. She saw her dad had tried to call her. She suddenly felt sorry for poor Charlie, alone in musty Forks, and sent him a text saying she was all right, just finished her shift and would call in the morning.

On the way to the door, she saw a door to another room open. That room seemed colorful, the only one that was joyful in an otherwise stern house. She checked to see if Edward was still sleeping, then wrote a thank you note and her number on a paper close by, and decided to intrude into his privacy before she left this place for good.

She realized she was in the room of a little girl. She grabbed a photo from a desk, and she saw Edward's arms around a little girl of about six. Bella was a little taken aback. She seemed to remember that at the bar, Edward had mentioned his wife had passed away leaving 'us' alone… Suddenly, she felt sadness for the little girl.

And ashamed.

She hadn't intended to take the girl's father away from her on such an important date. But the room seemed unlived. There was no dust, and it was clear someone was cleaning it regularly, but there was no sign of the usual mess that came with living in a place.

She had so many questions but realized there would be no place and time to ask them. So she just put her coat on and went to the door. Maybe he would come back again, and they could talk at the bar and… she was caught back. He was right there, in the frame of the door, in all his glory, not having bothered to hide or cover himself.

He smiled mischievously.

"Well, have you had fun on your scavenger hunt?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude…"

"I'm sure you didn't. You were just curious. And if I may ask, what is the meaning of this?" Showing her the rushed note she wrote.

She blushed.

She could not believe she had actually written 'Thank you for a good time. Hope to meet again.' It was much more embarrassing to have him find it before the walk of shame. But she held strong. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Well, Edward, I don't want to have any illusions, it's not like we're going to see each other again…"

His eyes clouded and she had to step back, his gaze was so penetrating. In hindsight, this was the first time she caught a glimpse of the real Edward Cullen.

"And where do you think you are going?" he seemed to barely contain his anger.

"Where…? Why, home. It's almost sunrise, and I need to work tonight."

"Oh sweetheart, you won't be working tonight, don't worry. You'll have other things on your mind".

She didn't like how his voice had become more menacing. Gone were the sweet whispers of the lover, and it was like he never existed.

A mere role for a highly skilled actor.

She decided to bluff her way around: "Oh really? Like what?"

"Like the police. Did you ever think you could get away with stealing my watch?"

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A/N A guest reviewer made some very educated guesses concerning the story. The only thing I can say is that the plot will thicken before we have our answers. I hope you will be patient for a little longer... Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!


	4. Chapter 3

3.

Then several things happened at once.

First, the door opened, and two cops entered. Edward pointed to her and her purse and next thing she knew, she was being handcuffed and read her Miranda rights, with a man's watch having fallen from her bag onto the floor.

The next couple of hours were the routine nightmare. Identification, fingerprinting, the jokes and she could barely hide her disgust. She was only thinking of her dad and how she dreaded making that phone call. The disappointment in his voice and then what… how could he make it right this time around? He would never trust her again.

While she had requested a lawyer and declined to make any statement until one arrived, suddenly the door barged open, and a very composed and well-dressed man entered.

"Sir, I am afraid you are not allowed here…"

"I'm the accused's lawyer, Aro Volturi, at your disposal," smiling with his full smile, showing his impeccable teeth.

He looked like a vampire.

Everything seemed taken from a script. And all because of her bad choices. She had to stand up and take responsibility for her mistakes.

She stood taller:

"Hey, you don't seem like the appointed lawyer…"

Mr. Volturi only scoffed.

"I like you. You have a sense of humor. Of course, I'm not appointed, Mr. Cullen hired me…"

"You mean Edward Cullen? This must be a joke!" Bella turned her shocked gaze towards the policeman. He seemed surprised as well, but also a little bored. He had probably seen weirder things.

"Look, you got this wrong, Mr. Cullen is the one accusing me of…"

"Oh please merely a lover's quarrel! He's hot-tempered, I must admit. But nothing that cannot be settled…" and Mr. Volturi proceeded to hand a series of documents to the police officer. Bella felt worse than Alice in Wonderland. When she was little, it used to be one of her favorite stories, but now that she could be living it, it did not seem so funny, and she was eagerly awaiting to wake up. If only she had never met Edward Cullen…

"Wait, I want to see those documents!" and she grabbed a pile before anyone could protest. After reading a few lines, she barked, "This is crazy! Are these even real?" She looked exasperated towards the policeman: "Engaged? Are you kidding me, we aren't engaged!"

The policeman finally broke in: "This is not pleasant, but things like this have happened before…"

"Exactly right. Mr. Cullen is extremely sorry to have troubled you, but is willing to settle this matter privately with his… fiancée," Mr. Volturi intervened.

"You are crazy! Look, I cannot stand this anymore. I'm willing to give a statement, without waiting for any lawyer, I will tell my side as it happened, and Mr. Volturi can take his settlement and shove it…"

Mr. Volturi interrupted again, this time more forcibly: "Could I please have a minute with my client, please?"

"It is not necessary…" Bella tried to assuage the police officer, but Mr. Volturi continued.

"I think it is in your best interest as well."

Bella scoffed: "Very well, let me have a talk with Mr. Volturi, although he isn't my lawyer."

The officer stood up: "Look, this is not how it goes…"

Aro showed him the door: "A minute, please."

The police officer left, but Aro didn't seem to be in any hurry, and Bella was not going to rush him. She would face the consequences of her foolish act, even though she did not think she had done anything wrong. But she was willing to listen to Aro, but it better be good.

Aro sipped his coffee and then started looking over some notes: "Isabella Swan, 25, born in Forks, Washington State. Father, Chief of Police – oh my, your father cannot be really proud right now, can he?"

Bella was starting to boil. "Do you have a point?"

"Of course, let me continue. Let us see, at 19, breaking and entering, placed in juvenile correction. Seemed like you were involved in an accident… Graduated College at 23, working as a bartender at 'Twilight,' but since October 3rd last, on parole for an out-of-state felony…"

She could feel her eyes darken.

"I don't have all the data here, but I'm sure in another day I could request it and have it on my desk… Apparently, you got off the hook easily – maybe your father pulled some strings?"

He sure knew how to push where it hurt.

"Judging by your silence, I hit a soft spot. But don't worry, Isabella, I'm not here to harass or put any blame on you. On the contrary, I'm here for you, as long as you are willing to cooperate…"

"What do you want?"

"A confession."

"To what?"

"Seducing Mr. Cullen with the intent of theft. You only managed to get his watch, but it's worth fifteen thousand dollars..."

"Asshole…"

"Ms. Swan, refrain yourself!"

"Why is he doing this? What does he want?"

"It's all right. The confession will remain with us, till due course. He just wants you to settle this out of court." And he pushed some papers for her to sign. He looked over it amazed.

"These are the papers from before. It says that Mr. Edward Cullen agrees to drop all charges against his fiancée, but that is the thing, I'm not his fiancée! I never met the guy until last night."

Mr. Volturi's faced dropped at the corners and became pensive. He checked his phone and murmured: "This is something you need to figure out with him."

And without further ado, he opened the door, letting none other than Edward Cullen in, and went out without making a noise.

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A/N Thank you for your support and sharing your ideas! A guest reviewer came up with interesting scenarios, I don't want to reveal the plot, I can only say they were close, but not quite, so I might surprise you yet!

Also, the Prologue is somewhere in the middle of the story, so I bit to go… Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello again, I am back with a new chapter and some AMAZING news! SunflowerFran is my beta starting with... this chapter! (all mistakes are still mine) – please check her page, she is awesome and helping a lot of starting authors Thank you to all for your replies, especially acw1 sherylb sandy4321 Mickey(guest), who supported me from the beginning, and hopefully you will continue to do so!

As some of you noted, and I mentioned in the summary, Bella is (and will) be OOC… But maybe you will like her anyway!

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4

Bella stood with her eyes wide, feeling her cheeks start to redden with anger. There stood Edward Cullen, freshly shaved, in an impeccably fashioned suit, looking nothing like the casually attired man from last night. Maybe she was actually going mad.

"What do you want?"

"My, my, I thought my lawyer had already explained, am I paying him for nothing, or are you too slow to understand?"

Realizing the further insult, she kept getting angrier: "If you mean this joke of a confession and settlement, then hell will freeze over before I sign it! I know my rights, and I can represent myself if need be!"

"Isn't that what you did the last few times you got into trouble? Look what good that did you", his voice was neither mocking nor compassionate, merely stating facts. He took the seat opposite her that the police officer had vacated and was now staring intently at her.

She decided to try and play it cooler: "We both know that I did not steal anything. So, what do you want? Why me? You must know I have nothing, I don't own anything in my name, I earn a good deal, but surely it is pennies for you, but if it's that, then let's just…"

"It's not that," Edward interrupted plainly and appeared annoyed with the insinuation. "Look, I know the terms of your parole. If you get in trouble with the police within this year, then you might actually be sent to jail. Think about your future. Think about Charlie."

She did not want to know how he knew so much information about her. She just wanted to hit the perfect face she had admired so much that morning, so much ... until it hurt _her_.

"All right, you have my attention. If I take the bait, what happens then?"

Edward relaxed visibly. It was obvious he was used to this situation, when he held the upper hand. She could just imagine the effort it took to let her be in charge the night before… But she had to leave that train of thought behind… All that happened… The man she was with might had well been a product of her imagination, and the previous evening a hundred years ago…

"Well, I will simply withdraw my complaint. For the police, it will appear we just had an altercation, and it would suffice for now. However, we would have a different agreement, set out by my lawyer. You are to sign a written confession of your theft first. Secondly, a prenuptial agreement." He paused then. Her eyes grew wide. Surely, she did not hear him correctly…

"But that means…"

"That is right. You are to become my fiancée, be engaged for a reasonable time, and then get married. I am only asking we stay married for the duration of at least a year corresponding more or less to your parole. If you leave before, I will hold the confession against you, and you will be sent away."

Bella looked him in the eye for the first time since last night, looking for a trace of deceit, of humor, of…decency.

But she found none.

"But surely, this must seem as crazy to you as it does to me … Edward, you don't even know me…"

"Please, let's cut the formalities short. Do you accept or not?"

Bella realized that she was dealing with a maniac. With a dangerous one, because he was holding all the power.

"Let me get this straight, Edward Cullen, if that is really your name … So, my choice is either to go to jail or to be married to you for a year?"

Cullen kept his gaze on her and slowly, very slowly nodded.

"Well, if you put it like that, it's an offer I can't refuse!"


	6. Chapter 5

5

Afterward, the ride to Edward's place was strained, but at least she was out of the police station. She tried to convince him to pass by her place so she could pick up some things, but Edward just said: "everything will be taken care of." She decided against arguing and just stayed put. The atmosphere was so different from last night when their ride was full of passion and anticipation.

She was rather surprised to notice they were going back to the place from last night. So it is actually his place, she thought, but did not know if that helped much improve her opinion of him. She still did not understand his ulterior motive. She read a lot about stalkers, and it seemed like Edward had the personality of one, but at the same time they were not your successful business type, or at least that is what she thought.

Once inside, Edward directed her to a small bedroom just next door to his that she had hardly noticed when she was there last, not that she had the mind frame to investigate.

"This will be your room from now on. You can decorate it as you wish, and I have asked someone to bring your things from your former apartment". She did not even want to know how he would manage that, or how he even knew where she lived. She realized he would not answer is she asked.

"You seem quieter than usual. Maybe you will be able to adapt," he said interrupting her silence.

She just looked around the room hesitatingly.

"Edward, what do you want from me? I mean, you said you would like me to pretend to be your fiancée, but why? What are you looking for from me?"

"Companionship."

"Companionship? What do you mean by that?"

"Look, maybe you would like to freshen up, and I'll bring you the instructions later. That should clarify at least part of your questions."

Instructions, great. She was becoming more and more stressed. However, once he was gone, she took out her phone. But who could she call? Jacob flashed into her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought… But still, she had gotten herself into this mess, she was supposed to be able to get herself out… Then she saw a couple of missed calls and messages from her father. She felt bad for making him worry. This was a phone call she could not delay.

Once Bella finished the call, she felt better, but also guilty. She was not used to lying to Charlie. Even when she had messed up, she usually confessed and asked for his help. Although he must have been disappointed in her, he did not seem to mind, which made her think that he preferred for her to admit her mistakes and ask for help, rather than try to hide. In a way, she felt as if she might be disappointing him now, more than ever before.

She did not have much time to dwell on the issue, as Edward soon returned with a pile of documents.

"Is this your set of instructions?" she said warily.

He laughed: "I understand they can seem intimidating, but I assure you there is nothing in here you cannot handle."

"Sorry if my sense of confidence in you is diminished at the moment."

"You don't have to apologize, I hope you will learn to rely on me in time. So, before you wanted to know what I expect of you during this year. As I was saying … companionship. That means you would accompany me to events, family reunions, any other functions, and conduct yourself for the purposes of our agreement as my fiancée at least for the duration of this year."

"Okay… But what do I do in the meanwhile? While you are at work?"

"What would you like to do?"

"Can I still keep my job?"

"As a bartender at Twilight?"

"Yes." She saw nothing to be ashamed of in her job there.

He hesitated. "If you'd like, yes. But understand that your possibilities are limitless. You do have a degree in Creative Writing, right?"

She simply nodded.

"Maybe you can put it to good use. Work for my company and design campaigns. Or apply to book publishers. Go back to study. The world is your oyster."

Bella decided to dismiss this thought – she did not feel this situation as an opportunity whatsoever to feel privileged, which made her think of something else.

"What about sex?"

"What about it?" Edward had the nerve to smirk.

"Do you expect that from me?"

"Not unless you'd like to. I won't lie to you, Bella, I want to have a real relationship with you and judging by last night, we could have fireworks between us… However, I would not force you. I will wait until you are ready again."

Bella scoffed at this: "What if I will never be ready?"

"I'll take my chances…" Arrogant bastard! "However, part of our agreement means this is a closed relationship."

"So, unless I have sex with you, I will have to abstain? Now I see how you are doubling your chances. So, that's it, this is what I need to accept for about a year?" Bella took the documents from him and started turning pages. She would need to study all this in detail. She will be reading the fine print this time.

"Yes, pretty much. It doesn't seem too bad now, does it? Of course, there is a very important part of it that I need to make clear from the beginning." He took a seat opposite her as to look her straight in the eye. Bella could not help but try not to flinch. She had to stand her ground and remain calm. She couldn't back down now.

Once he had her full attention he began to speak. "I have a daughter; her name is Alice. She is six years old, and she is on a trip to Europe. She will be back later tonight".

So, he did not intend to hide this part any longer. But what could he want from her? She was no mother.

"I won't lie, I would like for you to get along. And particularly, I don't want any fights or bad language in front of her. This is as fundamental as the other conditions. If something happens, you go." He seemed so serious, and the more Bella thought about it, the less she understood him.

"If you wanted a step-mother for your daughter, you picked the wrong person. I can't promise we'll get along."

There was silence for a beat.

"We'll see… But for the time being… just play nice". And with that, he left.

She was left with a pile of papers to read and no clear answers to any of her questions.

Back in his room, Edward slowly undressed and changed into something lighter for dinner – shirt and trousers.

While he was preparing, he started hearing noises from the nearby room – drawers opening, curtains being pulled… At first, it annoyed him, and then he realized that it comes with not being alone. Not being alone… it was a feeling he once again had to get used to.

He realized it had been a while since he had a regular sitting dinner; since Alice left, and that was about a year ago. He missed her, and suddenly, the prospect of having her back in the house, of having people around– except his bodyguards and other help – put a smile on his face.

* * *

A/N : Special thanks to my beta Fran and to everyone who reviewed! I realize a lot of questions remain unanswered, but the bigger "why" for what Edward is doing will be revealed only towards the end… please be patient!

On a brighter note, I have a banner, made exactly as I imagined by Cecilia Melton, big thanks! - please visit the Facebook group to download the avatar or ask me for it ;) ! And see you next Wednesday when Bella meets Alice!

And hear all about it: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.

If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.


	7. Chapter 6

With thanks to my beta Fran

* * *

6

The doorbell woke her up with a start. Momentarily, Bella did not know where she was. She looked around, and nothing was familiar. Her eyes fell on a clock: eight pm.

She heard noises and rustles around the house. Edward had mentioned they were supposed to have dinner, and all the meals that were possible in-between, together. But the commotion seemed more than just dinner preparation, and with renewed effort, she dared to sneak a peek.

In the huge hallway, Edward was hugging someone, a little girl. That must be Alice… Edward had mentioned she would return later tonight. Bella would have liked to disappear unnoticed, but it was too late. Alice had noticed her and apparently asked Edward about it, since the next thing she knew, they were both staring, and Edward summoned her with his eyes. Bella took a breath. Alice seemed nervous, probably shy. Whatever she felt for Edward, she did not need to take her anger on the young girl.

"Sweetie, remember I said I would like to introduce you to someone special? Well, this is my friend, Bella. She will be staying with us from now on," Edward smoothed the introductions, addressing Alice first.

"What, like a sleepover?" she murmured sweetly.

They both laughed, relieving the tension a bit.

"Not really, darling. Bella will be here with us for a while…" her father replied.

"Will she sleep in your room, like Mommy?" Alice asked slowly and a bit spitefully. It was the first time Bella heard the name mom mentioned. She wondered what age Alice was when her mom had passed away, or if the girl had any recollection and the thought made her heart throb for some reason.

"No, she will have her own room…"

That seemed to liven Alice up a bit. "Like Jessica?" And she turned her attention towards a young girl about Bella's age, who seemed to be eyeing her in return. As far as she understood, she was the live-in nanny, and she not too happy to see Bella.

Bella decided to intervene: "Hi, Alice. Your dad told me a lot about you." Well, maybe not a lot in general, but certainly by his standards, and taking into consideration she was basically in under house arrest, it would make it easier for her to play along and pretend to be nice.

The girl did not open us easily, but she offered Bella a shy smile, probably to appease her father.

"Well, since introductions are over, we can get off to dinner, and then, you can check your presents," Edward winked at Alice. The girl jumped with joy. One could easily note that she worshiped her father, and she was the light of his eyes. It was hard to reconcile this image of Edward with the calculating man who had put her back to a wall.

What did he expect from her? Looking up from the father and daughter, she locked eyes with Jessica. Her face seemed to mirror the same question.

Dinner went by in quiet appraisal, the only chatter made by Alice as she went through all her adventures in Europe. Edward intervened when needed, but was happy to let her lead the conversation. Bella did not have much to add or ask for that matter, but the whole situation felt awkward. From the outside, they probably looked like a happy family – asking about the day, and smiling, but to Bella, it seemed annoyingly deceitful. She had done her fair share of stupid things in the past, but somehow, lying to this little girl seemed the worst.

Looking at Alice, the girl seemed to take in the news of her father's 'new girlfriend' really well. That made Bella think maybe she had been in this position before, maybe her father changed girlfriends often since her mother left, or maybe she was just a good actress. For the time being, the little girl just seemed very happy to be with her father again, and was paying attention to every word coming from his mouth.

After dinner and a long hug, Jessica took Alice to bed, while Edward and Bella were left in an awkward pause.

"Now what? What am I supposed to do tomorrow?" Bella asked resentfully.

"Whatever you wish. You can come by my company, get a tour, or go to the gym, or just stay in bed all day. It's up to you; you are not a prisoner here."

Bella laughed at this. She went to her room without saying good night.

She woke up during the night agitated. Her whole life was a mess and was spiraling downward. Did she really back herself into a corner? Was it true that she wouldn't be able to escape this place until Edward released her? Whatever his spoken intentions were, no scenario in her mind led to a happy ending. By meeting Alice tonight, she realized that even if his crazy plan goes through, the young girl would still be affected by it at the end of the year. She would know her mother had left her when she was little and that every girlfriend he had, meant a new trial and error, until Alice became a teenager and no longer cared. But that would still leave a mark on her… Bella's instinct was to protect the girl, but then she stopped. Why would she get involved? And most likely, it would turn back like a boomerang against her.

She went to the fully equipped kitchen to get a glass of milk. To her surprise, there was a little shadow sitting on the counter and enjoying one already. The shape moved and startled.

"I did not mean to scare you," Bella told Alice gently.

"I just came for a glass of milk. Please don't tell Jessica. She might get in trouble…"

"It's okay… We can keep it our secret ... the midnight milk drinkers," Bella winked. She got her own glass and sat down at the counter next to Alice.

"You are probably jet lagged too… You came from Europe, right?"

"Yes, France"

"I have never left the U.S. … Did you like it there?"

As a response, Alice just shrugged. Bella could tell that the little girl was becoming teary, so she changed the subject.

"Well, I don't know about Europe much, but I know here we have something that makes anything better!"

Alice turned her eyes towards her, hopeful and glittering.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, of course!" Then Bella made a big show of preparing it for Alice, while the latter just looked in amazement.

"Have you not had it before?"

"Yes… Jessica makes it sometimes, but she tells me not too often since she needs to lose height."

Bella laughed as she realized Alice had meant weight.

"Bella… Could you please not tell Daddy you found me here?"

"Don't worry, sweetie. Your daddy and I do not tell each other everything…" she winked, and they smiled at each other.

In a nearby room, the smile Bella showed Alice was zoomed in on a screen in Edward's study.

"Apparently, they will gang up on you," Jasper, Edward's trusted bodyguard, commented.

"I'm not sure I would mind it…"

"Seriously, what are you trying to achieve? Are you sure what you are doing is good for Alice?" Jasper seemed genuinely concerned. He cared about the little girl since the moment she was left in Edward's care.

"I know you might not agree, but I had to take the risk. I just wanted to see if they would get along. It seems they could be friends…"

"Isn't that only wishful thinking on your part?"

"Maybe. But as long as they don't kill each other, this is my chance."

* * *

A/N: Thank you everyone for the support and questions! I realize you may not get all the answers you'd like for now, so I thought of asking some questions of my own for now... Have you ever thought about/been in a stepparent/stepchild relationship? I have not, but the first thing I imagined when Bella met Alice was awkwardness, we'll just see how it evolves. Thank you for reading, till Friday!


	8. Chapter 7

With special thanks to Frannie, I promise to work on my punctuation...

* * *

7

Bella woke up groggily. Since she had problems falling asleep, she woke up late. The house was awfully quiet. After a quick look, she realized she had it all to herself. Edward had gone to work, and Alice was in class. The girl had just returned, but she had a private tutor come to the house until she would formally start school.

After taking a long shower and putting on her makeup, Bella felt a little lost. She hadn't had a day all to herself in a while, and the circumstances in which she now had one were quite exceptional. Unfortunately, she didn't have any close friends; she had moved to New York in search of anonymity, and she got it. But the downside was starting to show. She talked to her father regularly, but she didn't want to worry him. Trying to explain her current predicament to him didn't seem like a good idea, especially since it was the result of a one night stand.

She could think of this experience as moving places. She had to do that too since her salary at Twilight allowed her to have a good one. The fact that she lost her rented studio made it feel a little nostalgic. Suddenly, she remembered something. She sprung out from the bathroom and into her new room. She looked around crazily for the boxes Edward had said came from her old apartment. She didn't even want to know how he managed to get them. The fear was rising – what if he looked through them before packing? What if someone else did? How many people?

She quickly threw the clothes that were on top and dug to the bottom of each one. In the third box, she found what she was looking for – a photo album, apparently from when she was a little girl, but it actually had photos from her high school years too. The box did not seem to have been tampered with, nor the album. She took the two intrusive photos and studied them carefully. She had to put them somewhere; she needed to hide them along with her feelings of guilt.

Last year she had entered the reservation at La Push and started a fire. She had been charged with trespassing and arson, which is a felony in Washington State. She managed to get out on parole only through her father's connections, and she was supposed to stay out of trouble. She would never forget Jacob's look of disappointment as she set the tree house on fire. And there was something else too, a look that resembled defeat. Jacob wouldn't have pressed charges if it had been for him, but Billy, his father, did not hesitate. She will not forget the look of contempt he threw her in court, just before her testimony. He was the only one who thought she had gotten off too easily.

After the trial, she moved to New York. She doubted she could have stuck on the side of the law if she had continued on in Forks. But ironically enough, trouble had followed her anyway. And today she felt the full swing of her punishment in her inability to just walk out the door and leave; in her giving in to Edward's blackmail.

In the evening, she went for her shift at Twilight. She had tossed and turned, and decided she wanted to get on with her life. It was hard to believe she had only met Edward two nights ago. She already wanted to sidestep that incident and let it have the smallest impact on her life.

When she arrived, the place seemed more packed than usual. She was just heading towards the staff entry, when Carla, one of the waitresses, pulled her in.

"What's wrong?"

"Be careful, the place is swarming with journalists tonight."

"Is something special happening?"

"They are actually looking for you," and Carla tossed her a newspaper. Bella's eyes grew wide, and her heart started beating with trepidation upon seeing a small photo of her, together with a short announcement of her engagement to Edward Cullen, one of the most desired bachelors in New York and a famous businessman.

Bastard…

Bella never thought this arrangement would end up in the papers. Now she had a choice, either go back through the side exit or step in and get on with her shift.

She was many things, but not a coward.

Not anymore.

She went into the main lobby with her head held high. Of course, she could not keep it up long as she was soon surrounded by a pool of people snapping pictures and asking her personal questions.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw three men begin to push the journalists aside. She recognized one of them as Edward's right hand, and although she was annoyed by him acting as a puppeteer, she was grateful the reporters were being herded aside. When only the regular customers were left, she resumed her work.

She felt his presence before she saw him, mostly because of the reaction of her colleagues.

"What are you doing here?" Bella turned toward Edward, annoyed.

"Hey… Is that a way to welcome your fiancé?"

"Who the hell leaked that to the press?"

"Don't swear, it doesn't become you. I might have told a few friends, and they told some others, and the word got out… It doesn't matter."

"It does when an army of reporters decide to surround me at my workplace!"

"So you've decided to continue working here?"

"Look, Edward, I might have agreed to be your… fiancée, but you're not my master. What I do in my own time is no concern of yours, and I don't want to mix my private business with work."

"That is very professional of you. Could you give me a scotch, please? On the rocks."

"Have you heard anything I've been saying?"

"Loud and clear, beautiful. I'm here only as a client, I assure you."

Bella didn't like it one bit. She could feel the stares of her colleagues, and she was thinking it herself: this was not a normal exchange, not between a customer and a bartender, nor between lovers.

She brought his drink and gave him a smile that was supposed to be sweet in appearance, but in reality, it was cold. He didn't seem to mind and smiled back.

"What brings you here then?" she started again.

He sighed.

"Can't I come and have a drink after work? Can't I just spend time with my fiancée without it becoming a scene?"

Bella laughed at this. "Can't I do my job without those wolves descending on me?"

"I'm sorry about that. I was careless. I should have come sooner or sent reinforcements with you. I will be more careful next time." He actually seemed apologetic, but what he was saying wasn't the solution she had in mind.

"How about leaving me alone while I'm working?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Home is too lonely without you."

"Alice is there, you can always find time to spend with her."

"True, but from now on, I'd like it to be the three of us," and he proceeded on making plans for the weekend, when they could go rafting, or to paintball. Bella drily told him she had a double shift and would probably be too tired afterward. He creased his forehead at this, but said nothing, finishing his drink.

Bella became distracted by other customers, and when she turned again a while later, Edward was gone. She sighed with relief. Work had been her constant for the past year, she didn't particularly enjoy her job, but she didn't want to lose it.

When she turned again, her signature smile disappeared. Sitting at the bar and waiting for a drink was James Hunter, one of the most disgusting clients she ever had to deal with. It was amazing that after harassing almost all of the female staff, he was still allowed on the premises, but his father, being a congressman, probably had something to do with that. He had made Bella a target of his battering and teasing since she started to work there, but lately, he had become more forward. She knew she could call security if needed, and that gave her strength to act professionally.

"Hello, darling, please give me a double martini." While Bella was preparing it, he continued the conversation. "Heard you got yourself a rich boyfriend. Is that where you were, riding him? You should have told me that's what it takes, I would have…" Bella was bracing herself for the continuation, but it never came. It was actually a punch that had silenced James, and it was from none other than Jasper.

Sensing the beginning of the fight, Bella interfered: "Please, Jasper, don't!"

Jasper did as he was told while escorting James outside.

The commotion had gathered a few of the waiters too, and Carla whispered to Bella, "I don't think James will make it home at this rate." Bella's heart clenched. This evening was getting from bad to worse.

"Don't worry about him, Bella, he had it coming for a long time. Remember the time he grabbed me, and no one wanted to help, afraid of the consequences? I say good riddance! Oh, sweetie, I will surely miss you!"

Bella flinched and laughed it off. "Do you think I'll get fired after this scene?"

"Fired? Oh no, I meant you would quit, of course!"

"Oh, I am not going anywhere, silly."

"Really? Why would you stay on in this shithole when you are marrying big? Tell me, when did you start dating? Why did you even come to work tonight?"

"Carla, I appreciate the sentiment, but please don't speak like that. I like my job, and I hope to keep it". But it was no use, she could tell. Carla was looking at her as if she were from another planet.

"Do you even know who Edward Cullen is?" Carla asked with disgust before turning away. This hit her like a brick wall. She realized then and there that no, she did not really know anything about Edward, while he seemed to know everything (or almost) about her.

She asked someone to cover for her while she took a quick break. Grabbing her phone, she went outside.

She was going to google Edward Cullen.

* * *

Thank you everyone for being so engaged in this story and reading it so carefully ;) Thank you That'sMzPeachesTYVM, LizziePaige, Pattsy1994, grandmachix for some very well made points! So... have you ever cyber-stalked anyone? (promise I won't use the confession against you lol) I can start: I googled my then boyfriend (now husband) and found some websites he was on that he was unaware of...

Also, in this chapter I mentioned that trespassing and arson are felonies in Washington State, please don't use it as legal advice, I claim creative license for all legal matters that don't add up :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	9. Chapter 8

With thanks to Frannie!

* * *

8

The search did not prove as satisfactory as she expected. Edward Cullen was thirty years old, and he had had a long and successful career ever since he graduated _summa cum Laude_ from New York University. His major was in IT, and he had begun a startup for young entrepreneurs right after graduation, which had apparently taken off quickly. He received the attention of some investors with his communication strategy, and he was soon one of the most famous and youngest businessmen in the NY area. Nothing over the top, no drug abuse, no felonies. Not that they would be listed on a Wikipedia page, Bella thought.

What was remarkable about what she found is that Edward Cullen seemingly had no personal life, - nothing until today, when the announcement of his engagement was made public, and several newspapers repeated the story. No mention of Alice or a former wife. No wonder the reporters had descended like wolves when they heard the news. There was no information concerning where he was born or brought up, parents or siblings. She could conclude that he was either a private person, or there was nothing interesting worth mentioning. She thought of his apartment and how everything was kept clean and tidy, but with no hint of his personality or that he actually _lived_ there.

Bella was a writer at heart. She could make up the rest of the story. But that would not mean that Edward was going to become whom she imagined. And she was wondering whether she would ever discover his true self.

She was startled by an incoming phone call – from Edward.

"Are you okay?" his voice seemed breathless as he spoke.

Bella had almost forgotten about the incident with James, but apparently, Edward had just found out.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just on a break. I need to get back in now."

"Wait, I'm on my way!"

"Edward, I'm fine, seriously. Jasper came on time and…" But there was no use. She soon felt enveloped by warm hands keeping her close.

"I had just stepped out to take a phone call," Edward murmured against her ear. "Before I know it, Jasper is carrying a bleeding man outside. I had no idea if you were safe." He gripped me tighter. It was comforting to be held like this, but I had to stand my ground.

"Bleeding? The guy didn't even touch me, Edward! And we have our own security. I can take care of myself!"

"Can you?"

Maybe he didn't mean it mockingly, but she felt the sting. She had mistrusted her instincts too many times. She had to go back in. She heard him calling her name again, but didn't turn back. She had to be alone. She had to manage by herself. Who was she trying to prove that to, except herself?

Edward didn't mention the incident with James again, or her job really, but since then she noticed Jasper or one of Edward's men standing by the bar, usually with a drink in front so no one could distinguish them from the regular customers. She was the only one to know better.

At her new 'home,' things were becoming dramatic turn of events she was waiting for didn't happen. Alice had started school and was mostly away, or doing homework. They interacted a bit and had a good relationship, but Bella tried to stay away. She did not want either of them to get too attached, although it was basically impossible not to love Alice. Under her shy exterior, she was a cheerful girl, sometimes even adventurous.

They got used to playing this game – the fortune teller one. Alice was supposed to be able to read into the future, and would tell Bella about her day. Usually, it was something like "you'll get a promotion," or "You'll get a call from an old friend," but today it was different.

"You're sad," Alice remarked.

She was very observant.

Bella looked towards Edward's room, but he seemed out of sight.

"Yes, sweetie, well, I had a long day… And today is my dad's birthday, and I miss him".

Alice seemed to pause before continuing: "Would you like to bake him a cake?"

Bella started laughing: "I'm not sure we can send it all the way to Washington State."

"No, but we can also write a card, we can send that, and then eat the cake ourselves!"

Bella liked the way Alice was thinking, and they started to work on the cake.

"So… how is your dad ... what is he like?"

"Well… He has a moustache. He is very serious, doesn't speak much, and likes fishing. He and his best friend were always going on Saturdays."

"Sounds like my Grandpa," Alice laughed. This was news for Bella. She had not heard Alice speak of any family except her father, and was interested to find out more, but Edward interrupted them.

"Smells good... What are you two up to?"

"Daddy! We were just baking a cake. I was telling Bella about Grandpa."

Edward tensed.

"You know, how he is always serious or on a business hike," Alice resumed.

Was it Bella's imagination or did Edward just breathed out in relief?

"Oh, I see. Yes, he is very busy and usually on business _trips_. Do you miss him and Grandma? Would you like to visit them this weekend?"

Alice squealed in delight.

Edward turned towards Bella.

"Would you like to join us?"

Bella just shrugged. She did not want to admit she was curious to see where Edward had been spawned … If he was a puppeteer, would they be the puppet masters?

"Well, you are welcome to tag along… if you give me a piece of this delicious cake."

"Daddy, it's not for you!" Alice laughed while being tickled by her father.

"Okay, but I expect one twice as big for my birthday."

Alice and Edward started bickering like kids while Bella continued working on the cake and thinking. Her curiosity gave in.

She would meet Edward's parents the following weekend.

* * *

So, we didn't find out much about Edward through Google, as Pattsy1994 was saying, he is a bit of a "control freak" to what he lets on... But we are going to find out more through his family! Some other important points were raised EdwardsFirstKiss why he chose Bella in particular (there is a reason beyond her awesome cocktails) and I am happy mnnlisa pointed out that Alice seems to be his priority, I will continue on this line, so please keep an open mind! Last but not least, Guest who is not enjoying due to prologue, I actually don't like prologues either, and I will keep this in mind for the next story, for now, please try to ignore the photos, they are not important yet ;) (and there is no cheating!)

Until Friday... thank you for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it!


	10. Chapter 9

9

As soon as they pulled up in front of the huge mansion, Bella realized she was nervous. She didn't understand why. It wasn't as if she was Edward's real girlfriend, or cared about these people. She told herself it was just the wealth that intimidated her. As they approached the house, Edward had also become quieter, while Alice grew more enthusiastic.

"My mom remarried Sir Henry a few years ago. It's her third husband, and it's no love match. My poor dad didn't stand a chance," Edward whispered just before entering the house. "So you have no reason to care about what she says. And don't forget our agreement."

Bella barely registered all the information before being let in by a butler – seriously? – And after a few moments, she was introduced to Madam Elizabeth Carlson.

"How do you do," the lady murmured.

"Pleasure," Bella replied. Glancing at the lady in front of her, she couldn't see Edward except for the green-hazel eyes that stood out like a cat's. Waiting for their prey. In light of what Edward had told her, she wondered how it had been growing up in such a family. It must have been claustrophobic, although the house seemed huge. Maybe that is why Edward was so discreet about his private life. He didn't want people to judge. He had not made his money from scratch, he was born into it. Would that diminish his achievements? Bella wasn't sure, as there must have been pressure on him growing up… She was woken from her reverie by Mrs. Carlson's booming voice:

"I see that since we saw each other last, you've got an addition," she said it as if she was talking of a stray cat.

Bella instantly disliked her.

"I'm sure you learned about Isabella from the tabloids you love so much," Edward smiled back.

Mrs. Carlson made a grimace.

"I 'm just surprised… All the time you are so discreet, and then all of a sudden I find out you're engaged… from a newspaper no less!"

"Well, not everyone can cherish matrimony as you do," Edward pushed back. The cutting edge of the comeback made Bella realized that this was a normal interaction between them. It made her uncomfortable. She wanted to meet his parents, not become a pawn in their sparring match.

"You have a lovely house," Bella chipped in.

They both turned towards her.

"Yes, indeed, it is one of my husband's residences… We usually go to the South of France in the summer."

"Oh, have you met Alice there?"

Mrs. Carlson then turned towards the little girl as if she had just remembered her: "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry we didn't meet, I don't think we were there at the same time… You were in Paris for a little while, right?"

Alice just smiled, and Edward intervened: "Alice would you like us to go check on your pony?" And next thing she knew, Bella was left alone with Edward's mom. She hadn't expected this. If anything, she should be the one going out while Edward and Alice were spending some time with their family.

Mrs. Carlson sighed and poured her a drink: "I suppose I deserved it."

Bella couldn't deny that.

"I guess this is my punishment since I haven't even tried to understand him. He will never forgive me for abandoning him and his father and not making an effort to stay in that god-forsaken little town with any perspective. And also using him as a ping-pong ball between his father and me…" This came as a slap to Bella, who only now realized the dynamics of the family.

"Oh, I see by the look on your face he didn't feel the need to fill you in on his life. I guess it is fair enough, why mention a mother who gave birth to him, only to disappear from his life for the better part of it. When I saw Edward next, he was already a well-achieved man, father of one. I didn't know my son, and I doubt I ever will," there was sorrow in her voice, but also finality.

"But there is still time to know your granddaughter," Bella cut back on the self-pity. The lady replied with an even look:

"I suppose so, but it doesn't matter. It's his job now. He enjoys the responsibility. I guess it's his way of giving back for all the messes he got himself into. He also has a habit of picking up strays."

Rich or not, Bella didn't need to listen to this. "Actually, it was Edward who arranged the engagement. I think he needs someone more…maternal in his life." She stood up to leave, mumbling, "And it is never too late to try and know your son."

Edward looked up towards the window where he left Bella and his mom. It was a bold move, but he thought he took his chances well. Bella would find out more about him from a direct source, without actually revealing too much. His mom didn't know him at all.

"Daddy, why are you always mad at Grandma?" Alice turned around worriedly. The question took him by surprise. He didn't realize a six-year-old could pick on details so well, although maybe he should learn to pretend better. No, pretending wouldn't work with Alice. They were too much attuned to each other:

"We have an old grudge I would say, and we are both too proud to bury it."

"A bulge?"

"No, sweetie, it's a misunderstanding. Your Grandma and I don't always see things the same way."

"Like you and… Mommy?"

Edward turned around a bit concerned. How much did Alice remember from her first years? It was hard to say with her, in the beginning, she was just so quiet, and then in time, she didn't speak of it.

"Not really… Your Mommy had to leave us, it is not exactly the same thing."

"Do you miss her?"

Edward fidgeted a little. How could he explain the situation?

"I don't think about it often. I value our relationship and am happy to have you as my daughter," he smiled warmly. "Do you miss Mommy?"

"Yes, sometimes."

"But you like Bella? And Jessica is treating you nicely?"

"Yes, I really like Bella… it's just that sometimes she seems distant… like she wants to leave."

"Well, let's make sure she feels welcome, so she stays on, okay? And darling, no matter what, we'll always have each other." He crouched down to hug Alice and only then noticed Bella waiting for them patiently, with a confused look on her face. How much did she hear?

"I… I need to go. Sorry, Alice, Edward, would it be possible for me to go ahead?" Bella said shyly.

Edward had rarely seen her so troubled, even on the day he took her from the police and started their arrangement. What did his mother tell her? He wanted to join her, but she insisted they stay longer and spend some more time with their family. Alice didn't say anything but looked at Edward with a knowing look.

In the end, Bella returned home by herself. She took out the birthday card she and Alice had made for Charlie and wrote "I love you, Dad" on it before mailing it. She laid down on the comfortable bed trying to imagine her father. The way he had always struggled to raise her well, the way he had always struggled with her. Although as a teen she was a shy little thing, she grew out to be quite the troublemaker. And yet, he stood by her till the end. Not even her mother had done that.

Now she tried to picture Edward. The 'bad boy' she had met the first night at the bar. The serious man he had seemed to be when going to work each day, Alice's father. She tried to put these images together till the picture was whole, but her head was spinning. She tried to lock into her mind the image of him and Alice hugging in the garden outside his mother's house. She had heard most of their conversation, and it made her sad. And scared. What were the expectations they had of her?

Suddenly, she got out of her bed and looked for her laptop. It had been so long… So long indeed since she had written anything more than a tab, a small note, a shopping list. When she had started studying Creative Writing, she was a dreamer, in love with the idea of love. By the time she finished, it was just so she could have a degree under her belt.

But she had lost all inspiration, all the dreams she previously imagined on paper. Now, for the first time in a long time, she wanted to start a story. And finish it. She started writing a story about a father and a daughter.

She had been locked in her room for hours, but Edward didn't dare interrupt. When she emerged, sleepily, tired, she seemed somewhat happy. Edward didn't ask what made her this way.

"I hope my mother was not too intrusive… I know she can be rude at times…" he started.

Bella looked at him as if she had just seen him.

"Oh, don't worry. Rudeness, or brutal honesty, don't bother me."

"You seemed a bit shaken when you left."

"Something caught me off guard, really. But mostly a memory, not anything your mom said. No need to worry, I didn't tell her anything about our arrangement."

"I don't think that would bother her too much, but it's for Alice's sake, I don't want her to catch on and be sad… My mom doesn't really know how to handle a kid."

"You seem to know a lot about your mom, considering you haven't actually lived together."

"Touché. I like the way you're practically defending her now… But you're right. I judge her too harshly sometimes."

Bella expected for Edward to elaborate, but he didn't say anything else.

They stood in silence for a minute until Bella started shyly.

"I was wondering… I don't have a shift, maybe tomorrow we can spend the day with Alice, at the zoo, or something. I don't even know what six-year-olds do these days."

So she had heard his conversation with Alice, Edward thought. But he accepted the olive branch kindly. Better snatch it till she changed her mind…

"Oh, and Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Nothing. I'll have an early night… Good night!"

She left quickly before she could make a fool of herself. For a moment, she wanted to tell him about the book she had just started writing. About the inspiration. But it felt wrong. He wasn't her friend, she was his captive. Lines had shifted after today, and she didn't like it at all.

Edward was left smiling to himself. Finally… the ice was beginning to crack. He remembered the look on her face, the moment her mask went down. He had known her physically, but never this raw. It was the first sign that his experiment was going well.

He didn't enjoy the afternoon he had to spend at his mother's. Although he was trying to ease the strained relationship he had with her, he still felt uncomfortable in her presence. However, if this was the price he had to pay to get a reaction out of Bella… it didn't seem like too much. He took his phone and checked the missed calls.

He had three from Carlisle who had probably heard about the engagement from the news. He deleted them. He couldn't deal with him today. Carlisle couldn't find out about the arrangement, at least not yet. He would surely not understand the way Edward was thinking, or approve of it. Good old strict Carlisle, always dependable, but far too set in his ways… He was barely getting over the disappointment Edward had been to him, he couldn't take him back to that place, especially in the middle of all this.

Edward just put all these thoughts aside and decided to plan for the upcoming activity with his girls.

* * *

A/N: So... I have some good and bad news.

Good news: this story is complete! Well, it is just a rough draft on my computer, but it gives me time to edit it more (work on my punctuation!) and I am also preparing an entry for the AoE contest, so please check out the competition once it opens!

Bad news (at least for the regular updates...): I am going on holiday between the 12-28 August, so I will not manage to post updates during that time, but... I am going to post three chapters next week (Mon, Wed, Fri) and the story should be completed by end September - not much longer to unveil our mysterious characters :) Till Monday then, have a great weekend!


	11. Chapter 10

10

Bella was tossing and turning. She had a nightmare. She kept seeing the faces of Charlie, and then Alice, screaming and disappearing from her sight. She woke up in a cold sweat. She switched on the lights and looked around the room, which had become so familiar in the last four months. Since that first outing with Edward and Alice a day after the visit to his mother, they had started going out regularly. In the beginning, she was saying that she was just honoring her contract, but soon it became obvious that she actually enjoyed spending time with them.

Alice and Edward did not shy from doing adventurous things, from skiing to hikes, from camping to jet skiing (well, that was mostly Edward). She also found out that they were very open to each other, not at all the uptight, serious people she saw at Edward's mother's house.

Her heart cringed a little.

She used to be adventurous too, but when her behavior became destructive, she had to let go of that side of her. She was a little nostalgic thinking that whatever adventurous stuff Alice would choose to do in the future, be it parachuting or gliding, Edward would probably be by her side and support the girl. Bella was not sure how she felt about that. She remembered when she threw herself off a cliff and rode motorbikes as excessive speed… But that was under different circumstances. She doubted Edward would allow Alice to do anything dangerous if it was to harm herself.

Since moving in with them, she had taken notes and worked on her novel. She liked the way it progressed, no rush, just simply pouring out from her. There were times when she wanted to skip work in order to write more. That was another thing… she started being more and more dissatisfied with her job. Nothing actually happened. The news that she was Edward's fiancée had died out, and she was now in the process of continuing as normal, with the usual gossip surrounding her situation. Edward had not shown up since the night James was beaten, and he had made no further comments. It was her this time… she needed a breather, time to herself. But she didn't want to live off Edward.

If she quit her job and pursued writing full-time, that would give Edward's plan legitimacy. She would no longer be the victim in this scenario, but the perpetrator. She wished she could confide in someone, someone who wouldn't judge her, and then looked at her phone with longing.

There was one friend in Forks whom she had kept in touch with. So, before she overthought it and changed her mind, she texted Rosalie:

 _How is he doing?_

A few minutes pass till a message chirps:

 _Forget the a**hole. Dating someone from the res as far as I know. How are you?_

Bella's heart clenched. How much should she say? She thought about a dismissive reply, but then she remembered Rosalie had always been there for her. She was one of those amazing people who actually stayed on in Forks after graduating high school, married her sweetheart, Emmett and had their 2.5 kids and a white picket fence dream. She would like to tell her everything, the mess she was in now. But on the other hand, Rosalie had so much on her own plate, was it fair to her to bring some more?

 _Hanging on,_ Bella wrote in the end.

The reply seemed to take longer now. Probably Rosalie felt there was more to it, but was not sure if to press or not.

 _Don't be a stranger,_ was the reply she saw a few hours later.

In the meantime, she had thought about what Rosalie had said about Jacob. That he had moved on. She was not sure how she felt about it, but she guessed she should be happy. And relieved. She remembered how they always promised to be good friends and was thinking how she had thought of calling him first thing after Edward had brought on the agreement. This made her feel stupid now. And for the first time in months, she didn't want to run away. And while preparing for dinner with her housemates, she realized she felt comfortable in her place here.

"Sweetie, could you go to the cinema with Jessica tonight by yourselves? I'd like to talk to Bella, like between grown-ups," Edward announced at the table that evening.

Alice looked up from her plate and simply nodded. She was a good kid. Bella was more intrigued, but knew better than to push it further with Alice there. If there was one thing that Edward kept very strict, it was the condition regarding Alice ... He didn't want her exposed to disagreements and fights, and since Edward and Bella didn't have a natural relationship, it was sometimes hard to diffuse the tension. If he was sending Alice away, then it must be something big.

When they were left alone, Edward was straightforward.

"How are you adjusting to this ... new…lifestyle?"

Bella could see he was genuinely interested, and if she hadn't known better, even nervous. It was ironic that only a few hours ago she would have replied 'miserable' without a second thought. But as if he was reading her mind, he chose the right moment to ask about that.

"I'm…adjusting." And then without having planned to say this much, she continued, "I've actually started writing a book."

Edward's interest seemed piqued. "About me?" He smirked.

"Maybe… It could be called, _Kidnapping Methods in the 21st Century._ "

He flinched at that and replied all serious, "Bella, I didn't kidnap you." He started pacing the room "But, we need to discuss our arrangement. You've kept your end of the deal, no worries. But… we need to take it to the next level. I said I would give it a few months to see how Alice reacted and to get used to each other, but now I just want to offer her a stable environment. So I would like to start the wedding preparations."

This was the least romantic proposal in the world, Bella thought. Not that she and Edward were actually a couple. They were just… complicated.

"I'd like a simple wedding, not too many guests. Due to my status, I don't want a social event out of it, I'd like to keep the paparazzi away. Also, I don't want to get my mother involved, I would rather keep it low," Edward continued nonchalantly. He suddenly turned to her, waiting.

"Are you asking me something, or just laying down the conditions?"

"Look, Bella, I want this to work. I really want this to work…" He sighed and sat back down. "I would like to explain everything, but this seems like the easiest course. The past doesn't matter anymore."

Bella laughed: "You can't just switch off the past when it's not convenient, Edward." And then she turned her back to him and barely whispered, "Believe me, I tried."

Then she turned around to see him fixing her with his gaze. "As far as I see, nothing has changed. I'm here because of our agreement, and I will stay until you no longer blackmail me. And… the book I am writing is about fathers."

"Fathers? And you say I inspired you?" Edward seemed genuinely surprised.

"I think that's the best part of you. But I admit I don't know you well."

"But we've been living together all this time, Bella. I don't have a secret, parallel life if that is what you are imagining," He laughed at this.

"You know, a few days after our… agreement started, I googled you."

"Have you found anything interesting?"

"I didn't, and I think you know I wouldn't. I only found things about your work. As if your life started when you were twenty-three."

"In a way, it did."

"But I see you tend to keep your private and professional life separate. As if you are two persons."

"I am a private person, yes. But Bella, no one stopped you from coming to my workplace. I think I even suggested you could work there."

"Would you really let me in, Edward?"

He realized the question was more loaded than just going to his workplace.

"I will try to."

In her bed, Bella couldn't sleep. She had been easy on Edward, she knew that. She was saying to herself that maybe it was because she was warming up to him.

But part of her knew better.

She had her own past of which she was not proud. She could not forget her own faults...her own guilt.

* * *

A/N: Beta'd thanks to Fran! I love reading your reviews, and think the discussion is going into the right direction; one of my favorites from the last chapter surprised the characters quite well m0t0b33 "she's basically him but without the loads of cash and the kid" :) Thank you for all the support, see you on Wednesday!

Also, have you heard? Important announcement: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.

If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.


	12. Chapter 11

11

Bella had agreed to visit Edward at his workplace the following week. They joked about it as Edward was asking her if she expected a full confession, and would use the material in her future book.

Sometimes they did have fun together, quick banter, and simply… chemistry. This made Bella ask herself what if she had known Edward in other circumstances, how things would have worked out. If their first evening together would have progressed normally. But she could not forget there was Alice. The sweet, innocent girl who was the light of Edward's eyes and who was so much a part of the equation.

Bella wondered a lot how Alice was handling the loss of her mother. Although it didn't seem to be a taboo subject as such, whenever it was casually brought up, Edward or Jessica would try to change the topic. This was seemingly considerate as not to sadden Alice, but Bella was also wondering how the girl was actually coping with the grief. As far as she got from the girl herself, Alice didn't actually remember her mom; her earliest memories were only of her father, and later Jessica. When Bella tried to bring up the subject to Jessica, the latter was quick in reminding her one of their first conversations and clarified she had signed a NDA and was not willing to risk her job. Bella could also tell that the babysitter was genuinely frightened by Edward.

This made her wonder… Edward made her feel annoyed, confused, and angry, but she had not been scared by him. Was that safe? Why did he bring her into his life in such a complicated, twisted, and seemingly permanent manner?

She had a Creative Writing degree. She had made so many scenarios in her mind. An obvious one would be that he had somehow fallen in love with her and this was his way of 'wooing' her. By Googling him, there was no mention of wives or girlfriends, so maybe he was not so experienced. She laughed this one off. Even if she was so vain to accept she had somehow captured the attention of Edward Cullen – which she was not – she didn't believe for one moment that the only way to convey his feelings would be to blackmail her into being his girlfriend.

So another theory had eased its way into her mind – she probably resembled Edward's deceased wife. That would cover the 'why her' part, which would be the physical resemblance. And that would also explain in a gothic way why he had gone through the pains of staging this arrangement – getting Alice a 'replacement mother' while trying to ensure Bella's comfort, knowing that what he was doing was wrong.

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Actually, it was for that reason she had broken into Edward's study while he was away. She didn't have much time and didn't know what she was looking for, but the only personal thing were some pictures that seemed scattered on one of the bookshelves, not within sight, but not out of reach, almost forgotten. They were pictures of Edward and another woman, a young one, fair-skinned and smiling. One could not really tell the relationship between the two from these photos, but as far as Bella knew, Edward didn't have any female relatives besides his mother.

There were only a few shots, but if this was the incriminating picture she was looking for, it showed no resemblance between Bella and that person – the only thing they had in common was that they were both brunettes. The other woman seemed to be of ethereal beauty, fragile and calm. Bella was just the girl next door. With a criminal background. But what really struck her about the photos was that they didn't include Alice at all. And they seemed to be dated seven or eight years earlier, so just before Alice was born. Bella dismissed the photos of those of an ex-girlfriend in the end.

Back to the present, she was woken up from her daydreaming by Jasper, who announced her they were ready to leave for Edward's company. Jasper didn't seem to like Bella much. He appeared to be calm, soft-mannered and honest, and fiercely protective of Alice and Edward. Sometimes Bella wondered if he was gay and maybe just saw her as a potential rival, but then she would just think it was her over-imagination working.

The 'field day' was going smoothly, although a little boring. Bella was left to roam the building in and out, Edward almost daring her to find something amiss. As if taking pride in the fact that his employees seemed content, had only nice things to say about him (to his alleged fiancée, but nevertheless they seemed genuine), and the were facilities modern and cozy at the same time.

"It's pretty impressive," Bella said once back to Edward's office.

"You say it as if you are almost disappointed," he smirked back from behind his desk.

"Maybe I was expecting you to hide a slave factory here…"

"That is not funny!"

"You deserve it. But how did you decide to open this business? And how did you manage so young?"

"I had something to fight for. And a lucky break I guess. It started out as a small business, and since it was a niche field, it quickly took on and expanded. But the timing was everything."

"However, it shows some determination. You could have lived off your mother…"

"That was never an option for me. Anyway, she lives off her husbands so I would have been the parasite sucking on the parasite," he spat this with disgust.

"How about your father?"

Edward hesitated. "He is a good man, but by no means rich. I gave him enough scares, I had to break free at some point."

Bella was intrigued – he hadn't said so many works about his father before, and she wanted to press on when the intercom buzzed. Edward took it immediately, as if happy for the interruption.

"The letter has arrived? All right, send it in," Edward addressed Lauren, his assistant.

He then turned to Bella, and he smiled starting to ask her something, but then, as if he caught himself and remembered something important, he buzzed again, "Hi, sorry, is it Anne who's bringing it? Okay, then never mind, I'll come down."

"Who is Anne?" Bella asked as soon as he finished.

"Are you jealous?" he brushed it off sweetly.

"Don't be silly! It just seems you're eager to meet her."

"This is nonsense. Don't worry, Bella, there is no other woman," and he went past her a little too fast.

Edward excused himself by letting Bella take 'full advantage of his office,' but she knew something was off. She didn't say that out of jealousy, of course, but there had been a moment in which his mask fell, and she could read the feeling clearly – fear.

Now, Bella was quick with action, so the first thing she thought of doing was to silently follow Edward. She remembered how to get to the main lobby and shrugged off all the kind offers of being assisted. It wasn't hard to spot him talking to a young girl in one of the hallways. They didn't seem to avoid attention, and their interaction seemed curt and professional. Nothing that stood out about it at all, apart from the fact the woman was the same from Edward's photos, even the years that had passed not changing her beautifully angelic features.

Bella left as soon as she realized the match. She didn't want to confront Edward until she had more information. And she thought of a way to getting it. She went by Lauren's office and started in a sweet voice ...

"Do you think you could possibly help me with something? Edward asked me to pass something on to the girl from downstairs – what's her name, Anne? But I misplaced her contacts, could you please give them to me again?" She was sure she would be called out on her bluff, but Bella was also using her position of power as Edward's fiancée.

"You don't need to worry, I can do it for you," Lauren tried to save the moment.

"I'm afraid Edward told me to do it personally…"

Bella saw the moment she won, Lauren not being able to question the request twice. The latter scribbled the information on a post-it quickly, as if just wanting to get rid of the task before Edward arrived. Bella took it gratefully and put it into her purse. But she wouldn't use it for now.

As she was making herself comfortable in the office again, the door opened only to let in a grief-stricken Edward:

"It's Alice. She had an accident."

* * *

A/N: Post-update beta'd by Fran, because she is amazing!

I'm leaving you with a cliffie, but only until Friday when I should leave the story in a (hopefully) better place.

And now, the question on everyone's minds: Who is Anne? Would love to hear your opinions, till Friday!


	13. Chapter 12

12

Jasper was breaking every speed limit in town, and Edward was still pressing him to go faster. Bella had gone very quiet, and the only visable reaction was her shaking, almost uncontrollable, that at some point Edward had to put his arm around her to try and stop it.

"She had gotten some threatening letters at school. When they started getting personal, I had a bodyguard watching over her. Today I was getting the report as they tried to take Jessica and the bodyguard down and take Alice. They almost succeeded, but she managed to scream for help. Apparently, they struck her down before trying to run. They were caught a few blocks away." Edward was watching out the window as he was saying all this.

"But… who were they?"

"Just bad people, Bella. When you're rich, you become a target. Paparazzi are annoying, but they are harmless… It's the others who I try to keep my life private from in the first place," he clenched his teeth.

"Who was giving you the report?"

"Just… someone working for me. But by the time it reached me, the kidnappers were already in motion. I was just called to go directly to the hospital. We need to get there faster," he said and turned back to Jasper.

"I should have been there with her," the latter muttered while hitting the last stretch of highway.

"It's not your fault, Jasper. If it's someone who should have been there, it's me," Edward replied cautiously.

Bella was in a daze.

This Anne person might have been sent to look after Alice and give a report, but that meant she was pretty close to Edward in the first place to be handed such an important task. But that didn't matter anymore. The priority was Alice, who was hurt and waiting for them at the hospital. Bella shivered. To say she disliked hospitals was an understatement. But it wasn't about her now. It was about Alice… sweet, gentle, funny, brave Alice who could not disappear like that.

At the hospital, they were greeted by a shaken Jessica. She had her head bandaged, but she seemed all right. She started an account of what happened, interrupted by cries and tears. Bella couldn't understand everything. The doctors didn't seem to be much help either. They were the best doctors in the city, but apparently, the only thing that they could say was "you have to wait for the scan results." Alice had apparently lost quite a lot of blood and had lost consciousness just before Edward and Bella arrived. Now they had to let the doctors do their thing and wait.

Bella suddenly turned to Edward, realizing only then that if what _she_ was feeling was bad, he must be feeling it one hundred times worse. He kept his head down, and Bella was shocked to notice him crying. She froze. She hadn't seen him in a situation in which he was so out-of-control, so powerless. Her instincts kicked in. She went to him and held his head on her lap.

"She's going to be okay, Edward. She's a fighter. She's a survivor."

Edward looked up, tears still in his eyes, but asking in a serious tone: "Do you really believe that?"

Did she? She thought of Alice hard. She couldn't see the glimmer in her eyes disappear. When they were playing at fortune-telling, she wished she could have Alice's powers and see where everything was headed. Or at least a shield to protect this family that she loved. As she was saying it, she realized it was the truth.

"Yes, Edward, I truly believe it. Hang in there, Alice wouldn't like to see you cry."

"Bella, the other day… I said the past doesn't matter. I think… I need to tell you some things. God, I don't even know where to begin."

"Just start at the beginning, Edward. I'm here listening."

But just then, the doctor returned and announced that Alice was safe and would probably wake up shortly. He specified that only one person was allowed, and after fighting tooth and nail that they were both let in, Edward went in first. Bella felt the connection they shared earlier snap, and eventually coming back and hitting her hard.

In those moments, when she was left alone, Bella felt as if she had hijacked this family. As if they had known she wanted, no, needed a family and they decided to adopt her, with all her tantrums and shortcomings. But the truth was – she wasn't a mother. She was an intruder. And the hospital knew it.

She was beginning to walk towards the exit, when Edward caught up with her.

"Where are you going, Bella? Alice is awake and asking for you."

Edward's look said it all. He seemed to have died a thousand deaths and been resurrected. He was tired but perfect. Bella plastered a smile on her face and made her way to Alice's room. She didn't imagine the welcome she would have, and tears came rushing down although she had promised not to cry.

"Bella, please don't cry! I'm going to be the flower girl at your wedding, I told you that!" the sunshine girl beamed at her.

Bella laughed at this. Alice had been hurt, but she was the cheerful one, ready to put everything bad aside and go back to normal. The girl had a nasty scar that might take some time to heal, but the most important thing was that she seemed fine and stable. Both Edward and Bella spent the night there, trying to entertain Alice who just wanted to go home.

Alice would have to be in the hospital for a few days, so Edward and Bella went home to get some rest. 'Life is too short to live with regrets', she kept repeating like a mantra. With renewed resolve, she went to Edward's room. As she thought, he was in the shower. Slowly, very carefully as not to make a sound, she took off her clothes and stepped into the shower too.

* * *

A/N: While I believe some will be disappointed with where I left off, it is hopefully better than a cliffie :) Next chapter (after the holidays) should be more interesting as Bella meets Anne and we start getting some answers!

Thank you for your support and have a great rest of the summer!


	14. Chapter 13

13

Bella had agreed to marry Edward, and since Alice was released, they were all engaged in making plans. They had all these ideas about the honeymoon – where Alice would come too, neither of them wanted to be apart after what happened – from swimming with dolphins to climbing pyramids, from eating ratatouille in France (Alice had been so excited since she found out it's an actual dish) to dancing the hula in Hawaii. These plans were not made only by Alice. And even though it was obvious that both Bella and Edward were relieved that the girl was back, there was also this renewed intimate connection settling in.

Neither Bella nor Edward had mentioned the agreement. Edward was genuinely happy. He seemed much younger too, and his eyes were shining with something she hadn't seen before. Or not looked for.

Love.

Even though he had not said it aloud, it was in all his small gestures, the way he was prepared to hand the girls - his girls - the world on a platter. And things were finally going his way.

This frightened her. Back in her room, she took out her prized pictures. When they were taken, she still believed love was possible, was everything and conquered everything. She was still a teenager. Then she vowed she would not fall into the trap of thinking she could have the dream for herself. She had to accept that love just hurts too much and it's not for everyone.

However, the way Edward was looking at her and treating her made her feel like something very precious, very fragile… it scared her. She realized it was not fair to him not to come clean. He might have his demons, but hers were probably worse. They had to talk things out, and sooner rather than later. With her rose-colored lenses, she could only see the good intentions in Edward now.

She found her way to Edward's study and timidly asked permission to enter. Edward greeted her with a smile and a passionate kiss. Seeing her preoccupied, Edward became guarded and immediately asked what happened.

"You know, when we were at the hospital and were interrupted by the doctor, you were on the brink of telling me something," Bella started shyly.

Edward's face became darker as he cautiously started, "Yes, there was something, but in light of everything, I'm not sure how you would react to it… "

"It's important for me to know," Bella insisted.

"Well, do you remember there was a drunk guy who tried to molest you at work a few months ago?"

"James?"

"Yes," only pronouncing his name made Edward's jaw clench, "I've actually known him for a while. He was behind Alice's kidnapping."

"What?" Did this have anything to do with her?

"That's exactly why I hesitated in telling you. I didn't want you to feel guilty for that maniac. This is between him and me. We've known each other since way back… But I changed my ways, and he couldn't accept that. He wanted to see me suffer somehow."

Could she just accept Edward's explanations? She needed to learn to trust him at some point.

"And… was this what you wanted to tell me at the hospital?"

A moment of hesitation.

"Yes," and Edward embraced her tightly. "He will get what he deserves, though. My lawyers are unto him. The Volturi will eat them alive. I just want to put the past behind us."

Bella could not really go ahead with her confession now. She went back to her room light-headed. But something was still nagging her. A little thing that she had placed in the corner of her mind, to dismiss and forget. But, it was coming back to haunt her.

She found the little piece of paper.

It was with the contact details of Anne, the woman Edward had met without wanting Bella to see her. Or that was what her female intuition was telling her. She had her photos in one hand and the post-it in the other. She could take them to Edward and throw away the other. Instead, she put the photos back in the box and took out her phone to dial the number.

They agreed on coffee first thing in the morning. Bella was early. Since Alice's accident, she was staying in Edward's room and waking up in his embrace. This morning, she had to make up an excuse about seeing a wedding planner to get out quickly. Well, quicker than usual. She was smiling at the memory when Anne arrived.

"Sorry, I hope I haven't kept you waiting," the woman took the seat opposite Bella.

"No, of course not! Do you… do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to be intrusive. I 'm afraid everyone at our company knows who you are. I also forgot to offer my congratulations." This woman baffled her; with the looks of an innocent girl, and the manners of a refined lady, who exactly was she?

"That is quite all right, thank you. Do you know why I called you?"

"I… think so. I cannot question Mr. Cullen's decisions; I think he had his motives to act this way. He has always been professional to me."

"I am afraid I don't follow, Anne."

"Well, I can only assume you are here because you found out that Mr. Cullen and I were married for a short while, and wanted to be reassured from me as well."

Bella was speechless. Anne caught on, and for a moment she was ready to bolt.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to speak out of turn. You mustn't think of this again," Anne was rambling; on one hand, she asked to give an explanation before getting up, and on the other, she was looking for a way out when Bella intervened.

"Please wait. What do you mean, _married_?"

"Please don't misunderstand. It might appear glamorous, but it was just a means to an end, as Mr. Cullen put it. He was setting up his company. He was in desperate need of a wife, he told me. He... he actually paid me a great sum of money for my troubles. I was in debt. Student loans and all that… I accepted. He was very honest from the get-go. Nothing inappropriate happened. We were just seen in public together, had pictures taken, that sort of thing. After a few months, we separated as quietly as we had gotten married. Just a quick trip to the town hall. I later came to work for the company. No one there knows, so really, it is not worth mentioning." She tried to sound dismissive.

"Not worth mentioning? How about Alice?"

"Who? Oh, you mean Mr. Cullen's little girl? You don't actually believe… No, we didn't have that sort of relationship! This was before Alice!"

Bella had so many questions swarming in her mind, she did not know where to begin.

"But why?"

"Why…?"

"Surely he must have given you a reason, a hint!"

"I didn't really probe him… I didn't have the most honest intentions myself, getting paid to be in a fake marriage… who was I to question him? But if I may, I would assume it was something to do with Mr. Carlisle."

"Who?"

"Well, Mr. Cullen's father," Anne was really unsure if she had spoken too much.

"Edward's father? What does he have to do with anything?"

"I'm not sure, but ever since Mr. Cullen had come back from Forks, he seemed to have a purpose, like he was trying to prove himself, accomplish something."

Bella had frozen.

She had barely registered what was said after Forks, or the fact that Anne had taken advantage of her going into shock to excuse herself and get away. And now Bella was left again with more questions than answers. Her world came crashing down on her. Maybe Edward's secrets were actually more terrible than hers?

And that name… Forks, could it be the same Forks? Her instincts told her it wasn't a coincidence, especially under the conditions in which she and Edward met. Ever since she was eighteen, Bella thought she was a coward. She had drifted through life without standing up for herself and taking the initiative when she had to. Becoming destructive after making bad choices. This time she couldn't back off, the stakes were too high. Not only her future, but also the one of a beautiful little girl whom she adored and who believed in her. And a complicated man who seemed to vanish the closer she got to reaching him.

So she did the only thing she could – she left a quick message for Alice, and headed to Forks.

* * *

A/N: And... I'm back! I'm sure not many are liking Edward right now, but at least we are one step closer to unveiling the truth - next chapter we arrive at the prologue! Thank you to my beta Fran and to all of you reading for your continuous support!


	15. Chapter 14

14

On her way to the airport, Bella replayed the whole conversation in her mind. She was confused, shocked and above all - hurt. If Anne wasn't lying, and she had seemed genuine, then Edward used her all those years back as a girlfriend too.

But why?

Bella didn't want to believe the conclusion her mind was pushing on her – that he was just playing a game, and for some unknown reason he was taking innocent young women as prey and using them until he got bored.

Tears were brimming her eyes as she handed the card to purchase the last minute plane ticket. She didn't know if she should call Charlie and alert him of her visit. He might still be on duty, or coming back home and resting. And what exactly could she say? "Dad, do you happen to know of a guy who blackmailed me into becoming his fiancée, with whom I have fallen in love and who actually lied to me about his whole life?"

Yes, that would go well…

Actually, it wasn't that Edward had lied to her, he simply hid his past. Even that he had a connection to Forks. Could that be a coincidence? That would be unlikely, but would that link him to her?

She was more concerned about his relationship with Anne. The possible jealousy she was feeling turned into anger. Did he treat her the same as the women before? Why would he go through these 'arrangements'? It was true there were some differences – Anne was talking about Edward nicely, reverently, as if he helped her in need, and obviously didn't think much about their arrangement. Also, it seemed that there was nothing sexual between them, but then again, it was a little before Alice, so he must have been with someone else at the time…

So many questions… Her head was reeling, and before she knew it, they were already landing. She took a taxi home. In the end, she couldn't bother calling her father and explaining.

As she arrived, she saw the cruiser in its usual place. She braced herself. It was not that Charlie would not be happy to see her, even unexpectedly, but it was that look – the first unconscious look upon seeing her that saddened her – the one that asked what she had gotten herself into this time.

After a long hug, he sat her down with a glass of milk (seriously) and waited for her to talk.

"Dad, it's okay. I 'm not in trouble."

"That's good to hear," Charlie laughed it off, but she could hear the relief as well. "Are you here because of… him?"

It pained Bella to see that her father thought she still couldn't put Jacob Black behind her. Also, she knew that her problems compromised a lifelong relationship between her own father and Billy, Jacob's Dad.

"No, Dad, I am not here about that… I know it's a long shot, but do you know someone called Carlisle in Forks? Possibly Carlisle Cullen?"

This question took Charlie by surprise, but he stood a moment to think between replying:

"Not Cullen, no… But could you mean Carlisle Masen? He's one of the doctors at the private clinic, he's been here for some years now, but he mostly keeps to himself. Even his house is a bit remote in the woods. No trouble with the law… as far as I know."

Charlie was prepared to ask more questions, but Bella was already on the go.

"Dad, I need to go and check something, but I'll be back later."

"Wait, Bella, how long are you in town for?"

"I don't know yet, Dad, but I promise I will pass by after I get some answers."

After some detective work (and some compliments paid to Mrs. Newton), Bella was heading to Mr. Masen's house, her head whirling with questions, but also with a faint, distant memory. The name rang a bell, but she was too hyper to put the jigsaw pieces together.

When she arrived at the house, she found a modern mansion with no neighbors, the most distinctive feature being its remoteness. It was only when she rang the bell that she realized the foolishness of her act. But it was too late – the door was opened by a fair-haired, handsome, yet tired-looking man. In the craziness of it all, he didn't seem surprised to see her.

"I'm… Bella. I came here for some answers."

"I know who you are. I was expecting you," his plain statement confirmed her fears.

"How could you? I didn't even know I was coming until this morning."

"I mean I've been waiting for you for a while," he let her into the mansion, clean and frugal, everything very practical, almost no artistic touch.

"I'm not sure what you know or remember, but I assume it is about my son," he started wearily.

"So Edward Cullen is your son?"

"If that's what he calls himself now… Please, go ahead to the first floor. You will find his room there. I think you'll find some of your answers there." He sat down on the sofa as if even this short explanation was too tiring for him. It seemed to pain him to give even this much information.

Bella found this very strange, but didn't hesitate. She needed to confront her demons, the past... even if it meant unraveling painful memories.

It was not hard to find the room in question – the door was left slightly ajar, but once inside, she didn't see anything strange at first. The clean room of a teenager – one who had not lived there in a long time. She noticed the piano keyboard in a corner and the posters of Van Morrison, Linkin Park, and a few others. A library was occupying the full length of a wall – filled with books and CDs. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that could raise any questions, even less _give_ answers. She touched the book covers as if they could tell her a secret.

Suddenly, she heard doors banging and voices from downstairs. She realized Edward must have followed her here and she was running out of time. If she didn't find the clues herself, Edward might try to brush off all this, or offer her a casual explanation. But then, there they were. A photo of herself, very young, she must have been in high school. And then, also a photo of a baby, a photo she recognized too well, because she also had a copy. A photo that shouldn't have been there.

It was Bella who barged into the living room, where Edward and Carlisle were still arguing.

"What is the meaning of this?" Bella shouted with tears in her eyes.

Edward's eyes traveled to the photos she was holding in her hands, his eyes grew dark, but he did not cower in shame. He stood tall and proud as ever. He could clearly see the hurt in Bella's eyes, but said nothing.

His quiet acquiescence made her sad. If he had tried to deny, or explain, maybe she would have found the strength to listen to him, or to forgive.

"Why, Edward?" she asked dejectedly.

"I was afraid, Bella… Afraid of losing you both."

* * *

A/N: And we are back where we started. This might seem like a filler chapter, but the past will be unveiled through two flashbacks this week! So, if you have new theories, fire away. I will take this moment to mention that Bella doesn't have amnesia... and dowlingnana, Edward was a bad boy :) Thank you all for your support, and see you on Wednesday!

In the meantime... Important announcement: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.

If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.


	16. Chapter 15

15

 _Bella, 16_

There were only three things that would send a small town like Forks in a frenzy – funerals, discounts at Newton's and a new kid in school.

As far as she knew, Bella only met Anthony Masen three times in her life.

Bella was having lunch with Rosalie and Rosalie's boyfriend Emmett, the high school golden couple, as usual. She couldn't explain how they all become close, but it started with Bella and Rosalie sharing an English class. At first, it seemed they had nothing in common, Rosalie being the Amazon with no real career expectations, while Bella was the bookworm. However, when Rosalie asked her help with an upcoming test, Bella found that Rosalie's cold exterior was only a front, and beneath it, she was one of the most caring, sweetest people in the world.

To the surprise of everybody, they quickly became best friends. However, there was no surprise when Rosalie started dating the quarterback, Emmett. He had a golden heart too, and they began hanging out as a group, although Bella sometimes felt like a third wheel. Today the school was buzzing with the news of a new transfer.

He was said to have been transferred as a favor to the principal, but he had skipped morning classes and came directly to the canteen at lunch. It was not that he was shying away from making an entrance, on the contrary - he was craving it. With heavy make-up on, eyes tainted by mascara, several piercings on his face and almost dragging a chain, he was the embodiment of a rock star.

Or simply Satan.

Bella instantly disliked him: "I guess you can do anything if you're a rich spoiled kid."

"I don't know, he doesn't look so bad, he has quite a lean body," Rosalie whispered seductively.

"You are disgusting, who can see him under all that make-up?"

"Why do you need to see him?"

Bella laughed out loud. She didn't realize how the voice carried out, till she looked back and saw Anthony's eyes staring right at her. She couldn't tell exactly, but they seemed black and angry. He exited the canteen with a huff and puff, making a scene similar to his entrance.

"Good riddance," Bella thought. She despised boys like him. She heard he had to transfer so his father could closely supervise him. He was coming from a big city on the East Coast – probably New York – where he had the gotten involved with the wrong crowd. Drugs… was the word murmured on lips at of the women at Newton's while their girls said it with excitement. There was no mention of his mother, probably dead.

Bella was disgusted. She felt sorry for the doctor, he was gentle and kind whenever they met. But his son… She didn't like the way people blamed everything on abandonment issues. Even if his mom was dead or something, it was no excuse for him to act like that. The anger and destruction won't do any good.

But then her phone chirped with a text from Jacob. They had been friends forever, but nowadays they had started flirting. She didn't know where it would go, but for now, she liked it. She texted back with a recount of the canteen episode. He texted back a joke. And that was it.

Who cared about Anthony Masen?

A couple of weeks later, she found herself in the same reading club as one Anthony Masen. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why he was there – they were discussing " _Alice in Wonderland"_ and the only thing that he could talk about was how the whole story would be read as a pedophilic act – "down the rabbit hole, do you get it? I didn't think so, you bunch of virgins," – or something along those lines. He was still wearing a great amount of makeup and seemed to be living a teen fantasy of being a rock star. It amazed Bella to no end that he was considered sexy and girls were gushing over him and seeking him out. Maybe because he was the quintessence of a 'bad boy' and they were at the age where they wanted to rebel against their moms.

But what Bella couldn't forgive was him intruding into her bubble, her oasis, her most cherished time with his arrogance and superiority of a scholar. She looked around the small group – mousy Angela, introvert Eric, and a few other freshmen who were all dazed by Anthony who was the oldest apart from the teacher – neither would stand up and interrupt him. She only saw his desire to be controversial and stand out.

Although she was the quiet bookworm-ish type too, after half an hour of listening to his rambling, Bella intervened:

"Anthony, if you had paid more attention to the book, maybe you would have seen more symbols than the sexual ones. Out of the characters appearing in the story, only Alice is real. She goes through feelings of discomfort, frustration, and sadness throughout her journey. She feels uncomfortable when she loses control over her body, and her neck grows too big – that's a metaphor for adolescence! In the end, it's a story about the dramatic and irreversible loss of childhood and innocence!"

When Bella got passionate, she could really hold the attention of her audience, but never until then did she feel the effect of this to such extent. Anthony was silent; he was holding her gaze with an intense look and then slowly, almost unperceptively, he smirked.

"Well, I didn't realize the book was so profound," he stopped to check her name tag "…Bella. Did it remind you of your loss of innocence?"

Bella's face got as red as a lobster, and Anthony just laughed. The teacher finally felt the need to intervene, but it wasn't needed. Anthony took his backpack, declared that the book club "was a waste of his time" and left pretty much as he had done at the canteen.

At least Bella's problem was gone. Her embarrassment, however, wasn't.

Bella sometimes liked to take long drives through the woods surrounding Forks. Mostly it was to and from La Push in order to pick up or drop off Jacob – he hadn't got his driving license yet – however, sometimes she liked to take small detours, get out and go off the beaten path. That day she chose a coastal road that ended up near some edgy rocks.

She was mesmerized by the view, but as she turned to leave, she saw another person standing near the rocks a few feet away, looking down with a hypnotized look. He seemed in a terrible shape, all beaten up and possibly high. She sensed danger. She disliked Anthony Masen, to begin with, and avoided crossing paths with him. He had been skipping classes, and apparently, all his father's efforts to rein him in were pointless. He could have graduated a few years back, and his father swore he was an intelligent guy, but he was just… drifting.

She wanted to leave, she should have gone, but there was something that made her uneasy – it took her a moment, but she realized what it was – his closeness to the edge. It seemed like Anthony would jump at any point, and she couldn't be sure if he was inebriated or not.

She moved closer as to become a shadow in his face, maybe he would simply turn around and leave. But he didn't acknowledge her presence.

She made the first move:

"What are you doing here, Anthony?"

He turned around slowly and looked at her with wide, black eyes. For a moment, it seemed as if he would not reply, as if she were a ghost. Then a light ... a recognition passed, and he said in a dry voice:

"Oh, little Bella. What are you doing here? Have you finished with Alice and moved on to _Little Riding Hood_? Tell me, did you ever figure out the symbol for the Caterpillar?" he said bitingly and resumed watching the sea.

Bella turned to leave. Why did she have to bother with this guy? But then again, if he was really planning to kill himself, could she stand by and watch?

"Look, Anthony, the clouds are gathering. A storm is going to come, why don't we both head out…"

"That's not even my real name!"

"Sorry?"

"Never mind… I was just thinking… of going for a swim," and he kept watching the water underneath, the way it crashed into the rocks.

"You know, I've jumped off a cliff once," Bella said casually. That seemed to gather his attention, at least for a little while.

"Really? Was it near the sandpit?"

Bella ignored his arrogant tone and resumed her story if she wanted to get the message across to him:

"No, it was near the First Beach, and it wasn't as high as this one, but it hurt like hell. I was pulled back by a lifeguard. I don't think you'd survive this one."

Anthony laughed at this.

"Well, thanks for the advice. But there's only one way to find out," he was slowly taking his boots off.

Bella was panicking.

She was out of telephone range, with a potentially intoxicated man who was trying to kill himself by jumping off a cliff. She wasn't a brave person by any means. She would have screamed for help, her dad or Jacob, if she thought they could help. But she was alone. Her instincts told her to run away, that this wasn't her problem, and no one will know. And that, even maybe, the guy will make it and turn out better for it. She looked at this crazy man, and then at the sea below. There was a small door, but she decided to act on it. She started taking her boots off too.

"What are you doing?"

It was Anthony's time to ask. He was standing in front of her almost naked, ragged, and unbelieving.

Bella took his hand.

"If you jump, I jump," and she took his hand in hers.

They stared at each other as if seeing themselves for the first time. It was now that she noticed that his eyes were actually green, but his pupils were so dilated they almost covered the color. But they were starting to recover their shine. He broke off eye contact to look at their entangled hands, then at the water far below.

As if waking up from a dream, Anthony pulled his hand away, gathered his things, and left.

Bella remained there shaking, not sure if from the cold or the rush of adrenaline. Had she really contemplating jumping from a cliff with a near stranger? Was her compassion stronger than her sense of self-preservation? After a while, she forced her legs to go back to her car. It was almost dark. She felt embarrassed now. How could she be so foolish? What was she thinking? It was a bluff, but what if the maniac had pulled her in with him? Had it been worth it?

How will she confront him in school after this experience?

But as it happened, she needn't have worried. Anthony didn't show up the following day at school, nor afterward. It appeared his exit was less loud than his entry, leaving only the ladies at Newton's to chatter as to whether he left for a detention center or back to New York. As the rumors quieted down, Bella had trouble fixing the person she had met with the character everyone else was building, so much so that she couldn't tell how much had been real, as she sometimes dreamt of a green-eyed water monster.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for all your replies, I am so humbled and happy you are putting so much thought into this story! So this is how Bella met Anthony, no romantic involvement, but a bond nevertheless... On Friday there will be the second snippet into the past!


	17. Chapter 16

16

 _Bella, 19_

Nineteen didn't seem too young. It wasn't too young to drive, it wasn't too young to graduate and leave home, nor to get pregnant. She wasn't as young as the average teenage mom, but not fully mature to have made a conscious decision. When Bella found out she was pregnant, she was torn.

Jacob Black had been her best friend since they were in diapers. They started dating in high school, he had been her first kiss, first love, first everything. While not having a mother to direct her into adulthood, Bella thought she used the necessary protection. So when those two lines showed, she panicked. She was preparing to go to college in Seattle, and commute back home so she could keep her relationship with Jacob going until he graduated high school later that year.

Billy, Jacob's dad, hoped that the long distance would mature them both and they would break up. He didn't approve of the relationship. As it were, Jacob was part of the 'tribe,' Billy being a pure Quileute, while Jacob's mom had been an outsider. In order to keep the line going, Jacob was supposed to marry a girl from the 'tribe.'

"The irony of it," Bella often laughed on how hypocritical that was of Billy. Jacob brushed it off, but Bella now realized he had never actually dismissed it.

When Bella heard the news, she knew she was disappointing a whole lot of people. Her father to begin with. He was indeed shocked to learn it, but he swiftly recovered. He would stand there with her no matter what she decided. She felt bad for him. His wife had already abandoned him, and he had raised a child by himself. To have to do it all over again with a grandchild seemed unfair to Bella.

But she thought they might not need the help at all. Bella would need to postpone her plans of going to university. Jacob was planning to start working with the other boys from the reservation after graduation; it would only mean advancing the plan. They could make it. It would be a rushed wedding, and it would certainly raise eyebrows in the small community, but it wouldn't be the first, nor, she believed, the last.

However, little did she know that her little dreams would shatter so soon, and the blow would come from the person she relied on the most: Jacob didn't want the baby. She couldn't remember who had mentioned the word 'adoption' first, she didn't know if it had been his idea, or that of his father, but it was his stance. He still talked of them being together, but now in a distant future, in which she would be back from college with a degree, and he would have built them a home on the res. "The baby had come at the wrong time," he was saying. They were still _too_ young, it's not like they couldn't have others of their own. Did she really want to be a young mother, like hers had been, and possibly resent her child afterward? Maybe abandon them later?

Bella was scared and becoming lonely. She had questioned the possibility of her being a good mother over and over again in her mind. But she relied on Jacob to give her strength, and take his share of responsibility. Now, would she be a better mother by raising the baby by herself, like her father tried with her, or by trying to offer the child a better life, with another family? A family that could provide what she couldn't – support, love, and commitment.

The only person who stood by Bella through those painful months was surprisingly Rosalie. She had always been a great friend, but now she was fearless. She didn't advise Bella one way or the other. She had never liked Jacob, but now she couldn't look him in the eye. She had told Bella that if she and Emmett were more settled, they would have gladly taken the baby. That made Bella cry harder.

The last piece of advice came again from Charlie. Bella was desperately asking him for a sign, for a lead on what to do. Though he was always a quiet guy and had never complained about being a single father, he murmured, "single parenthood can be really lonely," but then caught himself and turned the discussion around. But the phrase stayed with Bella, and she knew what she had to do. The following day she started the procedure to give the baby up for adoption.

The due date had come and gone, as if the baby had known that she would soon be separated from her mother and wanted a little more time with her. That was at least what Bella thought, but Rosalie kept telling her she was being too dramatic. And while singing herself to sleep, Bella started feeling the contractions. She was rushed in by Charlie and Rosalie only to find Jacob pacing in the hallway like a lone wolf. Bella looked for a sign of recognition, of a hidden understanding, of a reason to go back. But when they made eye contact, Jacob just turned his eyes down.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie immediately dived in.

"I just… I just wanted to check that Bella was okay," the boy murmured.

"Why don't you take Bella inside and I will stay here with Jacob," Rosalie gently interfered.

While Bella was taken in by Charlie, she could hear them in the background arguing. She didn't understand why it all had to be so complicated. The world was swirling around her, and she just wanted to stop and catch her breath. It seemed the floor was moving, and there were a few doctors talking to her, including a gentle one who had come from the ER. Dr. Masen… something. She thought she read sympathy in his eyes for a second, but then everything starting moving faster, and she was going into delivery.

It was a long labor, but Charlie stood by her the entire time. She could still hear voices from outside from time to time, but no one entered the room, and soon she forgot everything else except an excruciating pain and the need to push. And then the next moment, the most beautiful sound she had ever heard – a scream.

"It's a girl!" Charlie screamed with tears in his eyes. He handed her to the nurse, who took the baby out of the room for the initial screening. Bella felt so… empty all of a sudden.

"Dad, I know I said I would give her straight away, but… could I hold her once?" she begged with her eyes.

Charlie seemed worried but went after the nurse immediately. He returned after a few moments, empty-handed.

"Bella, sweetie, I'm afraid… someone had already taken the child. Since you signed the adoption papers, the procedure states they will take the baby immediately," he said all this trying to hold his cool, like the police officer used to giving grim news to people. But then, maybe realizing what he was doing, he added in a gentler voice: "Bella, she is a healthy little girl. She will be fine. You made the right decision."

Bella cried silent tears. She didn't have any right to judge or complain about how social services worked. It made sense – they didn't want parents to change their minds after others had already committed, only to take the baby back later, when an attachment is formed. But hadn't the attachment been already formed? Bella wasn't sure – she only knew she felt a hole in her body, but also in her heart.

She didn't realize when she had fallen asleep. As she tried to get up and go to the bathroom, she saw a small photo on the floor – with the face of the most beautiful and innocent baby. Bella cried again. Probably one of the nurses slid it under the door. She put the photo between her belongings, which would become one of her most beloved possessions.

Now she had to wipe her tears and go on with her life.

Do the things she had planned all along.

Go to school, graduate, be successful and try to put the past – Jacob, the baby – behind her. She would just have to learn to live with this hole inside her, which would soon be filled with guilt.

* * *

A/N: I am ready for the OMGs and WTFs (I think)... Next chapter (Wednesday) we are back in the present when Edward and Bella are FINALLY going to talk... Thank you for reading, and to Fran for making it flow!


	18. Chapter 17

17

Bella and Edward were sitting in the dining room, Carlisle having left to give them some privacy. It was so quiet it seemed eerie since the house was so remote.

"How did you know I was coming here?" Bella's look was blank, looking at Edward and not really seeing him. It was hard to reconcile the image she had of him with that of Anthony, the misunderstood wannabe rock star from high school.

"Alice called me as soon as you left her the message. I think she was afraid you were going to run away. I don't know what triggered this quest, but I knew if you were looking for answers, you would probably end up here."

"Edward, I don't even know where to being. Why now? Why did you frame me all those months back?"

Edward stood up and started pacing the room, combing it with his hand.

"Because you asked for the baby's whereabouts. You went to the social services and asked for the address of the adopters. They can give it only with their consent, so they asked me."

He could read the pain in Bella's eyes again:

"But you denied it."

"Yes, I did." He paused and gathered his thoughts: "But you have to see it from my perspective. You had a criminal record. Ever since you lost Alice, you were… drifting. You had an accident while drunk driving. You almost died but then pulled yourself together. You graduated. Got a job. Then asked to know the contact details of the adopters. I'm sorry, Bella, but I had to put Alice first. I didn't know how you would react. You were so… volatile."

Bella laughed bitterly.

"A day after the refusal, I went and tried to burn down Jacob's house, but you already know that."

Edward was quiet, meaning just a silent consent.

"But why her, Edward? Why me? How come you ended up with Alice? This couldn't have been a coincidence!"

Edward looked at Bella with quiet determination, as if weighing how much he should say. He probably realized that this was the moment to speak, or he might not have another. He started softly:

"Bella, I have been a rash, self-destructive, arrogant boy for as long as I can remember. I blame it on the fact that my mother didn't care for me as much as finding a new, richer husband to live off and spend their money. Half of the rumors spread around Forks were true. I did drugs, I was in bad crowds, I got into fights, and my mom couldn't keep up with me. That was the time I was in the same circles as James, and that's what he cannot forgive me for. And I enjoyed embarrassing my mom. My punishment came when I was sent to Forks to live with my dad. I even had to change my name. They thought using my middle name and my dad's family name would give me a 'fresh start.' I was enraged. Even if I wanted to, there wasn't much trouble I could stir in Forks. I took up an eccentric look, and people just stared and turned away."

"I remember…" Bella said with a small smile before reminding herself how they got in this position.

She prompted him to continue.

"Well, I'm not proud of that period of my life, Bella. I was bored to death. I wanted to have a thrill and couldn't get it. I think you remember that day by the cliffs. We both know I would have jumped. But you saved me. The mousy girl from school who defended Lewis Carroll stood by me, took my hand and said she would jump with me. Something clicked in me then. I went back home to New York, and tried to finish school there. I didn't make amends with my mother until much later, but I started being more responsible."

Bella was listening attentively, she still couldn't see how all this was fitting with what happened next, but all these memories from high school were coming back to her. Of course, how could she not recognize the green eyes, which pierced her by the cliffs when this man entered 'Twilight?' Maybe she had tried to separate her life in Forks from her life now that she hadn't made the connection. Or maybe Edward had changed that much.

"But how did you come to meet… my baby?" Bella murmured unsurely.

Edward hesitated a little.

"After I graduated, I returned to Forks. I wanted to meet you and… I don't know. Maybe to show you that your effort wasn't in vain. And to thank you. You had made quite an impression on me. I had noticed you from that time in the canteen when you laughed so loudly at my attire. You had intrigued me. I didn't know if we could be together, but I wanted to see you, to try…"

Bella's eyes grew wider at his confession.

"But when I returned, you were in a relationship with… Jacob Black," Edward spat out the name as if he couldn't get it out fast enough. "And then I found out you were expecting a baby (you know how word travels in this town). At first, that seemed it. But then, I realized you weren't the happy couple planning a rushed wedding. So I stuck around. Bella, I was there at the hospital when you gave birth. I saw you weren't going to change your mind. My Dad showed me the baby, and I fell in love with her."

He stopped in order to give Bella the time to process everything. He had been living with the secret for the last six years, but for her, it was a lifetime of lies.

"But Alice doesn't have the same birthday as my baby…"

"I changed it within a few months once the adoption was completed. I didn't want to risk the connection once she was older and we would visit Forks."

"You… you were the one to slip that photo to me."

Bella had found another of her baby's photos, together with a few other shots between Edward's belongings upstairs.

"Yes… I realized you had made your decision, but you were heartbroken. I wanted to leave you with a token, to assure you she would be fine."

That made Bella angry, and she stood up shouting.

"What made you think you had the right to do that, you arrogant prick? Do you think you are God to control everything? How could you possibly know how everything would work out!"

Edward didn't cower away.

"Bella, you need to understand that what started out as paying my debt to you became much bigger. Alice is the most important part of my life now. I didn't know if I could manage to keep her. I went back to New York to prepare everything. Due to my past, I had to count on Dad to start the procedure, and he helped a lot. And I am not ashamed to admit I used my mother's influence. At that time I didn't care about the means, just the end. I married a current employee of the company so I could seem stable. We posed as a stable couple with me as a young, successful entrepreneur. Thanks to everything, I got Alice in a few months instead of a few years."

Bella felt even angrier. What she heard in Edward's recounting is that he had fought for her baby, while she hadn't!

"So why wouldn't you just come to me? If you saw I was suffering and fading, why didn't you just come?"

Edward was taken aback by her reaction. Although he had anticipated anger, he thought they were past that stage. But the woman in front of him was still grieving, and mad. Probably rightfully so. She had been living with the feelings of guilt all this time. And he could have prevented it, maybe.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't intend to hurt you. I wanted you to take your own decisions and go on with your life. After the… birth, you were still suffering after Jacob. And then you tried to continue with your life. I wanted you to have a chance at just that, even if we had gone on different paths."

He approached her carefully. She didn't fight him when he cradled her face in his hands, and they were looking into each other's eyes again.

"I love you, Bella. I want you to be part of my life, and Alice's. But it's your choice. You see… Alice is and will be my number one priority. You have to decide where you stand. If you ask for the annulment of the adoption based on what you know, I will fight you tooth and nail."

And she knew he was serious, she could see the determination in his eyes. They weren't the crazy eyes of his youth; they were tamer now but could still pierce through you.

"Does… does Alice know who am I?" Bella's voice was trembling.

"No… I thought it better if you developed the relationship yourself. Bella, I was planning to tell you everything, but I just waited till you…"

"Till I what?" Her anger was coming back again.

"Till you loved us." Edward retreated slightly and looked at her with concern.

"So, where does this leave us?"

Bella let out a bitter laugh.

"Funny, that is exactly what I wanted to ask you."

* * *

A/N: Reactions to the last chapter: "Holy hell almighty." (DICATAKADD), "OHHHHHH SNAAAAPPP!" (m0t0b33), "OMFG! Alice." (KM525) And I believe this is a great summary: "omg! Alice is Bella's baby. Edward adopted the baby for Bella. Bella saved Edward and Edward saved her baby." (Lilypad10) Thank you to everyone who read and got so involved in this story, and particularly to my beta Fran! I tried and hope I managed to reply to all reviewers, with the exception of guest reviews, of course, so if you'd like a reply, please sign in or register :)

Now, I hope they manage to get through this mess...


	19. Chapter 18

18

Bella didn't remember how she got back to Charlie's. She just remembered she had promised him she would stop by, and in those moments, that was where she wanted to be. He welcomed her with open arms and hugged her tightly.

"What happened, sweetie, can you tell me now?"

So, between frantic tears and hiccups, Bella told him everything. Charlie listened in silence like she imagined he would to a confession at the police station, without interrupting; reassuring her with his silence and holding her hand from time to time.

In the end, he just said, "Can I… see a picture of her?"

Bella immediately pulled out her phone and showed him dozens of pictures, in different places, in different moods. And then Charlie's stony figure cracked a little, his eyes wrinkled and became teary.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him astonished. In a way, she realized she had come back to Charlie's because she expected to get answers from him. She was again, the scared little girl who didn't want to make the wrong decision. She was looking for guidance.

"Sweetie, don't look at me like a deer in headlights. I think I gave you my share of bad advice for this lifetime."

Bella was taken aback by his admission, and she heartbrokenly went upstairs. The room had pretty much stayed the same since she left for college. She came back briefly after she had given birth but rarely returned in-between. The last time being that October when she also tried setting Jacob's place on fire. It was after she had received the refusal from social services to tell her where the adoptive family of her daughter was. It was so strange picturing it now, the place where she lived with Alice and Edward, knowing their routines. But would this new life be compatible with her former? To her, they could barely fit in the same universe.

Alice… Her daughter. Since she had met Edward and fallen in love with him, she had progressively started thinking of her as her daughter. But to be hers completely… it didn't change the way she felt; it was just as if life was giving her a second chance in the most unexpected manner.

And Edward… she still couldn't make up her mind if he was an angel or a demon. She looked at her phone. She saw the missed call from Alice and the worried messages. She gathered her strength and called her back. She reassured her that she was fine and in Forks for a family emergency. However, she couldn't really explain to the little girl why she was crying. "They're happy tears," she tried saying, but that was not quite true. They tasted bittersweet. She told Alice that they would talk regularly, and see each other soon. After they hung up, she remained stretched on the bed, in the darkness, for a long time.

It was now more than ever that she realized she had no close friends except her immediate family. But then she realized she had been in Forks for a whole day and hadn't connected Rosalie. Given the speed with which rumors traveled in this part of the world, the latter probably already knew Bella was there, so she texted her and they agreed to meet the following day.

It was a sleepless night for Bella, but other than the usual feeling of guilt and loneliness, she felt something new, something akin to hope.

She got some presents for Rosalie's kids and headed towards her place. She felt a little weird, since she visited so rarely, and mostly only when Bella was in trouble or tormented. Rosalie never seemed to mind, she was always calm and patient, especially since her children were born. As always, she again greeted Bella happily.

Bella decided to tell her everything, and at the end of the story, they both had teary eyes.

"You know, I realized after I had kids of my own, but… we should have taken your baby in back then," murmured Rosalie.

Bella was in awe.

"Rose, we were the same age. You had no obligation…"

"Yes, I know. But I have children of my own now, and I cannot bear the idea of being separated from them," and then they were both silent for a while.

"Did you say you love him?" Rosalie resumed after a while.

Bella flinched.

"Well, yes, I thought I was in love with him. I mean, Edward is great, but I never thought his secret was…"

"Your dark secret. How do you feel about that?"

"I really… don't know. I thought I was putting the past behind me, and starting anew with another family. But it's actually a second chance, maybe a possibility to make amends. In the end, I kind of love and hate Edward in the same time."

Rosalie sighed.

"Do you think you would have understood if he had laid it down to you from the beginning?"

Bella tried to clear her head.

"I'm not sure. I'm afraid I would have mixed gratitude with anger. Not sure where that would have left us."

"What would you like to do? Do you want to go back to him?"

"Yes… no. I guess I expected things to turn out differently. That someone else might come through…"

"Jacob? Was there a part of you that hoped he would change and regret everything?" Rosalie murmured with sadness, she wasn't judgmental or assertive anymore. She just sighed.

"I think you should go see him."

"Who? Jacob?"

"Yes."

Bella's eyes grew wide with surprise. She didn't expect this from Rose.

"I have nothing to say to him."

"Bella, if you really want to leave the past behind, you first need to make peace with it."

Bella seemed as if she had been punched in the stomach. She left Rosalie's in a cloud of thoughts. She drove aimlessly, not knowing where she was heading. That wasn't really true – she knew where she should go, she just needed the courage to do it. Last time she had ended up at La Push, she had tried to set the place on fire – she knew she could control her emotions better now. She had to do it – for Alice.

To her surprise, she was lucky to find Jacob alone. The 'pack' seemed to be away, having left Jake to his own device. To say he was surprised to see her was an understatement. But he didn't push her away. She noted, in the corner of her mind that the tree house where they had played so many times in the past, the one she had tried to set on fire, was taken down. She didn't ask anything about it.

They sat in awkward silence till Jake decided to interrupt it.

"So, how have you been? Are you in Forks for long?"

Bella didn't reply immediately.

"I'm not sure yet. I thought I was fine, and … I'm getting there."

Jake just nodded and reverted his gaze from her. He stared at his feet while continuing:

"I just wanted to say that if it had been for me, I wouldn't have called the police the last time… But well, my dad is technically the owner and…"

"Jake, it's fine."

The awkward silence settled again. It was Bella's time to break it:

"Do you ever think about it? I mean… our daughter?"

Jacob didn't reply immediately, simply staring outside.

"Of course," he said after a while.

"If you could…" Bella started slowly, "If you had the chance to redo everything, would you do it differently?"

He stared straight into her eyes, but he couldn't hold her gaze for long. They were sitting down, quite a distance apart, and he was holding his hands together.

"Bella, I was young. We were young. We did… the best we could do. We can't change the past…"

Bella looked at him carefully. She wanted to tell him that being young didn't matter. That if you believe in something, you just make it work.

"But do you ever think… of her?" Bella was genuinely curious.

"Of course, Bella, who do you think I am? I wish we could know she's safe, and hopefully living a better life than we could have ever provided her… Do you, do you know anything about her?"

Now it was Bella's turn to be surprised.

"What makes you think that?"

"I thought… you never really seemed to make peace with what happened. Remember we used to be friends, best friends? When you came here last year, trying to burn the place down, I thought, I suspected you had found out something about her…"

Bella was speechless. Maybe she hadn't given Jacob enough credit. She missed her best friend and hesitated in telling Jacob the whole truth.

"Yes, I had tried to find out her whereabouts. I made a petition and asked them to divulge the identity of the adopting family."

She looked at Jacob carefully. He was sitting stoically, bracing himself for the continuation and pleading with his eyes, asking for… closure. It was then, in the briefest of moments, that she saw the ending for her book. She now understood that she had seen something in Charlie and Edward… that she couldn't see in Jacob.

"But I was denied," she continued dejectedly.

"So you don't know anything? Not even her name?" Jacob pleaded again.

A moment of hesitation, but hopefully he didn't know her so well anymore as to catch on.

"No, Jacob."

And then there was silence. An uncomfortable silence, and she realized she had nothing else to say. They had nothing else to talk about. Jacob was rubbing his hands, and searching for the right words:

"I wanted to tell you something. I think it's only fair that you found out from me first. I'm getting married next summer. To Leah."

Bella smiled. There was still something to tell each other. That they were moving on. It came as a surprise, and not. She knew Leah and was aware that she was exactly the type of girl Billy would approve of.

"Congratulations, Jacob. I think you will make a good couple," and she was sincere.

Jacob didn't comment further, only nodded.

And suddenly, Bella had nothing to do there in Forks anymore.

Although it might seem the trip was unsuccessful, she had, in fact, made peace with many things. Despite what happened, she thought she and Jacob would always share a connection, a common sin ... the guilt. She now realized that they had been totally different people from the beginning, and time had affected them in different ways. And now they had nothing in common.

It had dawned on her that he hadn't made any efforts to reconnect or find out something about Alice. He had just gone on with his life as it was supposed to be. Before there was a _them_. So in Bella's mind, he didn't deserve to know the truth.

The connection and responsibility for Alice she now shared with someone else, who might not be related by blood to the little girl, but was truly her father.

She knew it was now time to go home.

* * *

A/N: It was a pleasure being able to discuss more on the story now that the truth is out :) I know Jacob is not a favourite character in the story (believe me, not mine either) and you probably would have preferred a good beating, but hopefully Bella has grown a bit more mature (she did try to burn his house once!). Would you have told him the truth if you had been Bella?

Thank you for reading and will be back with the last chapter on Wednesday!


	20. Chapter 19

19

 _A year later_

Bella was putting on the last touches of her make-up. Her hand was shaking as she was doing it, and she peaked through the mirror at the man behind her who was also getting ready. Edward was tying the knot of his tie, a serious look on his face, although the hands were moving fast and knowledgeable. She had seen him doing this for so long now, but she still wasn't used to it.

Tonight was the handing of awards for Bella's book 'Of Fathers and Daughters,' which had been received with great acclaim, most likely due to the fact it resonated with so many people.

She looked up from the mirror only to find Edward smiling down on her.

"Are you nervous? Don't worry; you're going to be fine."

He embraced her in his strong arms, reminding her that he was close at hand.

 _It had been a year since she came back to his place, only to find him playing the piano to console a saddened Alice. The little girl ran into her arms and Bella was heartbroken._

 _"I thought you left us," the little girl sobbed._

 _"I'm sorry, Alice, I'm so sorry…" Bella was crying too._

 _After they dried up their tears and Edward gave them some privacy, Bella looked at Alice... really looked at her. With a knowing eye, she could see traces of herself and even of Jacob, but she knew they were only skin-deep. The real Alice had been molded day by day by Edward and encouraged to express herself and given the tools to succeed in life. She remembered how fiercely loyal Edward was to Alice and how adamant he was that she would come first. So Bella also made a vow to Alice._

 _"Sweetie, I promise never to leave like that again. It was something to do with… me. But I'm all right now, and here to stay."_

 _Much later, after Alice managed to calm down enough to sleep, Bella returned to Edward's side. He too, seemed worn out and tired._

 _"So, are you really here to stay?" he murmured with fatigue._

 _"If you'll have me…"_

 _He smiled: "If you jump, I jump."_

 _They married a couple of months afterward, in a small ceremony, just as they were planning. Alice was the flower girl, and Bella wanted to believe that the little girl saw her more as a mother each day. Bella and Edward decided to tell Alice who her biological parents were when she was older, but for now, they wanted to give her the sense of home she could always come back to and nurture her to become the best version of herself._

They each kissed Alice on the temple while leaving for the ceremony. The car ride was quiet, but Edward held her hand the entire time. Bella wondered if she could have done this without him and Alice. Probably, but it wouldn't have been the same book. She took inspiration from their relationship and was grateful that she could be surrounded by their love, as well as give them hers.

Bella exited first to greet her special guest. Charlie had flown from Forks for the awards ceremony, and one could tell how uncomfortable he felt in this environment; like a fish out of water.

"This one is for you," Bella smiled after hugging him tightly.

She saw her father's eyes twitching, but he quickly changed the subject to Alice and their plans. Bella and her new family hadn't returned to Forks, although they hosted Rosalie, Emmett, and their kids, as well as Charlie on several occasions. Bella was trying to slowly introduce everyone to Alice so they could get to know her and she would be familiar with them, but there was someone she realized wouldn't be part of their lives – Jacob. She heard that he had got married as planned, but had not kept in touch. The pain wasn't there like in the past, but it still awkward. The connection they once had seemed broken, and it was just a matter of keeping the good memories.

She put those thoughts aside for the time being, and at Charlie's arm, she entered the imposing center. As her name was announced, the butterflies in her stomach grew. With a smile from Edward and a hand squeeze from Charlie, she made her way to the podium.

She started with shaken words, which grew more confident as she spoke:

"Thank you, everyone, for being here and supporting me in my endeavor by awarding me this award. It seems an acknowledgment to me, but also to the people who have made it possible. This book wouldn't have existed without those men who have been my inspiration and support – my own father and husband.

It started with the question of what makes a real father. And although there aren't any short answers to this, and it depends on everyone's circumstances. For me, I just wanted to honor these people who are strong and fight for their children, especially their daughters…" Bella's eyes became teary.

"People talk about the daughter-father relationship as if the child would become spoiled, but I think we forget about the powerful bond that exists between these two individuals. It has nothing to do with the blood connection" – Bella glanced a look and noticed that Edward was holding the bridge of his nose between his hands, which he did when he was nervous or shy and her father smoothening his suit, both signs that they were embarrassed. She smiled and continued.

"Fathers are those who stand by their daughters and help them grow not as they imagine, or how society wants, but as they are. My book was a way of honoring their courage, and also as a token of gratitude. So I applaud them," Bella started clapping together with the crowd and then wrapped up her speech with thank-yous to the editors and the others who helped her.

The reception afterwards went smoothly with a lot of smiles and mingling. At some point, she felt herself engulfed in familiar arms.

"Thank you," Edward whispered into her ears.

"Did even pay attention to the speech? It was a 'thank you' for you," Bella winked at him.

"Well then, it was my pleasure," they looked at each other with understanding, "but I cannot take all the credit."

"Of course not, but you gave me my second chance. Otherwise, I could have lived all my life with this… guilt."

"No, Bella, if anything, I gave you your first chance."

They didn't go further in this setting and resumed their social functions, but Edward watched at how Bella was handling the crowd with admiration in his eyes. She wasn't perfect, but neither was he. They were two broken people, who had met in unlikely circumstances and saved each other. Now they were trying to make amends with the past and start anew. It wasn't always easy, that was for sure, but they had a child to bring up together, and it felt right – it was as if it had always meant to be.

No regrets.

No shame.

No guilt.

* * *

A/N: Wow, it feels surreal to mark this story as complete! But what had been even more amazing was to be able to know and interact with you over the characters in my head. So really, thank you to all and each of you readers who made this journey with me and made this story come to life.

Special thanks to Fran, who patiently explained the basics of punctuation to me, and CeCe, who designed the banner I had in mind.

When I started it, I thought that if I got a single review, I would continue the story, so you can consider this story is for you acw1 And thank you to all my regular reviewers: Patricia, dowlingnana, SassYNoleS, snoopylover60, sujari6 , cullenmeadow, Lilypad10, m0t0b33, Sabriana, padalf1025, EdwardsFirstKiss, That'sMzPeachesTYVM, debslmac, Breese, cheshire15, LizziePaige, sherylb, li-spar1, DICATAKADD, Rebadams7, 2brown-eyes, twiclare, arienna89, maymay74, My Friend Alice , . I hope I haven't missed anyone, and if I did, just give a shout and I can edit ;)

Some expressed a desire to read some more from me, but for the moment I don't plan on extending this fic, and would like to have a fair portion in for a new one before I post. However, I do have an entry in the AoE contest, the link is here u/9351628/Age-of-Edward-2017 There are some amazing stories to pass the time, and the voting starts tomorrow ;) (If you think you recognize mine, please don't say anything in the reviews as it's a reason for disqualification). Enjoy!

On this note, I'm ending this long note with a heartfelt Thank You, I'm happy if this story moved you in any way, and until next time, KEEP CALM AND READ FANFICTION!


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